Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant technological trend or a speculative future scenario. It is rapidly becoming the underlying infrastructure of modern economies, reshaping how work is organized, how value is created, and how societies compete globally. For countries like Jordan, where human capital has always been the most valuable national resource, the rise of the AI-driven economy presents both an urgent challenge and a historic opportunity. The question is no longer whether artificial intelligence will affect Jordan’s labor market, but whether Jordan’s education system is prepared to respond before economic realities impose change by force rather than design.

 

Globally, evidence shows that AI is transforming labor markets faster than education systems can adapt. According to the World Economic Forum, nearly half of core job skills are expected to change within a few years as automation and intelligent systems redefine professional roles. This transformation does not eliminate jobs entirely but shifts demand toward skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, adaptability, and lifelong learning. Traditional rote-based education models, which prioritize memorization over reasoning and compliance over creativity, are increasingly misaligned with these realities. Jordan’s school system, despite commendable progress in access and enrollment, still largely reflects industrial-era assumptions about learning and assessment.

 

Jordan’s economy is already feeling the pressure of this mismatch. Youth unemployment remains persistently high, even among university graduates, signaling a growing disconnect between educational outcomes and labor market needs. The World Bank has repeatedly emphasized that education systems in middle-income countries must focus not only on years of schooling but on learning quality and relevance. In Jordan’s case, this challenge is amplified by regional instability, limited natural resources, and a highly competitive global talent market that increasingly rewards AI-related competencies. Without systemic reform, the education system risks producing graduates who are formally qualified yet structurally unprepared for the realities of an AI-driven economy.

 

What makes artificial intelligence particularly disruptive is that it does not merely demand technical skills. While coding, data literacy, and computational thinking are important, AI reshapes work in ways that elevate uniquely human capabilities. UNESCO’s recent frameworks on AI and education stress that future-ready systems must balance technological fluency with ethical reasoning, creativity, collaboration, and civic responsibility. Schools are no longer tasked solely with transmitting knowledge, but with cultivating judgment, resilience, and the ability to learn continuously in uncertain environments. This shift requires a fundamental rethinking of curricula, pedagogy, and assessment, not superficial additions of technology to existing structures.

 

In Jordanian classrooms, technology is often introduced as a tool rather than as a catalyst for pedagogical transformation. Smart boards, tablets, and digital platforms cannot, on their own, prepare students for an AI economy if teaching practices remain teacher-centered and exam-driven. OECD research consistently shows that meaningful educational innovation depends on empowering teachers with new roles as facilitators of inquiry and designers of learning experiences. This means investing in sustained professional development that enables teachers to integrate AI concepts critically and contextually, rather than treating them as isolated subjects or optional electives.

 

Equally important is the question of equity. AI-driven economies tend to reward those with access to quality education and digital infrastructure, while marginalizing those left behind. Jordan has made significant strides in expanding education access, but disparities remain between urban and rural schools, public and private institutions, and socio-economic groups. If AI education is introduced unevenly, it risks deepening existing inequalities rather than reducing them. International evidence suggests that early, inclusive exposure to digital and cognitive skills is essential to ensure that all students, regardless of background, can participate meaningfully in future labor markets.

 

The urgency for reform lies in the speed of market transformation. Private sector adoption of AI tools is accelerating, often faster than regulatory or educational responses. Employers are increasingly valuing skills over credentials, adaptability over specialization, and problem-solving over procedural knowledge. If Jordan’s education system waits for the labor market to fully dictate these changes, reform will be reactive, fragmented, and socially costly. Proactive educational transformation, by contrast, allows policymakers to align national development goals with human capital strategies, ensuring that AI becomes a driver of inclusive growth rather than exclusion.

 

Jordan is not starting from zero. The country has a strong tradition of educational investment, a young population eager to learn, and a growing ecosystem of tech entrepreneurs and innovators. What is needed now is a coherent national vision that places AI literacy, ethical awareness, and future skills at the core of school education, not at its margins. This vision must be supported by evidence-based policy, sustained funding, and cross-sector collaboration between education authorities, universities, industry, and civil society.

 

Educating for an AI economy is ultimately not about machines, algorithms, or software. It is about people and their capacity to navigate complexity, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to society. For Jordan, reforming the school system ahead of market pressures is not merely an educational imperative; it is an economic and social necessity. The countries that succeed in the age of artificial intelligence will be those that understand one simple truth early enough: the future of work is being shaped today in the classroom.

 

The author is a specialist in educational technology