Dr. Alexandra Cook was a featured expert at The Digital Economist’s Biannual Virtual Roundtable Series –
AI and Education: The Great Relearning Revolution, held on December 12, 2025.
At the recent AI and Education Roundtable, we tackled a critical question: By 2045, will we have created
the most equitable learning revolution in human history, or the greatest cognitive divide ever seen,
where augmented and non-augmented humans live in entirely different realities?
The answer depends on actions we take right now.
The Good News About Access
Here’s what gives me optimism: many AI-powered educational tools available today are free or low-cost,
and they’re only improving. If you have a phone, you can access these tools. If you have a computer,
even better. This represents unprecedented democratization of educational resources.
The challenge isn’t primarily about access to technology—it’s about awareness. The average person in
the US, and certainly worldwide, isn’t aware these tools exist. We need an awareness campaign to help
people discover and understand the importance of these resources.
The Technology Acceptance Challenge
But awareness alone isn’t enough. We’re dealing with the technology acceptance model, where people
are suspicious of new technology or unsure of its relevance to their lives. In an era of heightened privacy
concerns, many people hesitate to interact with AI systems.
This caution isn’t necessarily wrong. These systems aren’t perfect, and bad actors exist who want to
exploit technological capabilities. People need education about both the benefits and the red flags. Just
as we learned to ignore spam emails and texts, we’ll need to develop AI literacy for learning
environments.
The Deeper Question: Education for What Purpose?
My greater concern isn’t about distribution of access to tools—I believe we’ll likely see less inequality
there. Rather, I worry about what these tools will prepare people for.
What skills will be valued in 2045? We’re educating people so they can do what? Have particular jobs?
Play what role in society, with their families, in the world? What is the role and purpose of this
education beyond human development?
The Corporate Responsibility Dilemma
As an investor in the EdTech space, I see companies creating amazing tools. But this raises complex
questions about corporate responsibility and content creation.
Who determines the base learning competency that a child should be exposed to? At what ages? What
framework should guide this, and who establishes it?
In the private sector, companies develop content based on marketing, research, government mandates,
grant funding, and capital markets. This creates potential inconsistencies. One platform might offer
exceptional tools but very different subjects or content quality than another provider. Parents and
educators will face many options to sort through—which could be both a strength and a challenge.
These questions about content and flexibility have existed for decades in public, private, and
homeschool environments. The difference now is the scale and pace of change AI brings to the
conversation.
A Vision of 2045: Two Possible Futures
When I imagine a learner from 2045 giving us feedback, I see two possibilities:
The positive scenario: They thank us for helping them become strong critical thinkers who can pivot
quickly and adapt to changing circumstances, including hardships. They feel prepared and purposeful.
The negative scenario: They’re part of a job crisis, searching for purpose, possibly dependent on
universal basic income. They wish they were in the other group—the one with something meaningful to
do and contribute.
Unfortunately, without important steps taken now, I fear many people will find themselves in that
second situation.
What We Must Do in the Next 12 Months
The path forward requires collaboration among educators, parents, policymakers, and technologists:
- Launch awareness campaigns about available AI learning tools
- Build trust through education about benefits and limitations
- Establish frameworks for content quality and age-appropriateness
- Focus on critical thinking skills that will remain valuable regardless of technological change
- Define the purpose of education in an AI-enhanced world
We stand at a crossroads. The decisions we make in the next 12 months will echo for decades. The
question isn’t whether AI will transform education—it’s whether we’ll guide that transformation toward
equity and human flourishing, or allow it to create unprecedented division.
The choice is ours, and the time to act is now.
About the Author:
Dr. Alexandra C. Cook, CPA, CGMA, CFF, FAIA (PRINCE2® Practitioner) is the founder of Dynastillion, a
family office advisory firm specializing in multi-generational wealth management, investment strategy,
and operational excellence. Dr. Cook serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Cooper Family Office and
Managing Member at Sunburst Ventures Florida & Puerto Rico. She brings over 30 years of experience
as an educator, CPA, software and ERP systems expert, and investment professional specializing in early-
stage venture capital and private equity. As Head of Due Diligence for Gauntlet Ventures, a fund of
funds, she combines her operational expertise with deep investment acumen to help families and
institutions build lasting legacies.
