What happens to career pathways when AI begins reshaping how we learn and work?

Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming how people enter, navigate and progress through the workforce, while many traditional entry points into employment are changing. What does this mean for education? Which skills will matter most? And how should learning systems adapt?

In this lecture from the Villars Global Learning Conference 2026 in Africa, Illah Nourbakhsh, Professor of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, explores how AI and automation are redefining the relationship between education and work, and what this could mean for the career pathways of the future.

For educators, learners and anyone thinking about the future of work, this session offers a timely perspective on how learning systems can respond to a changing technological landscape while supporting access, opportunity and lifelong learning.