Recently, I’ve had variants of the same conversation again and again with educators in the humanities. It’s a conversation borne out of a recognition—an awakening of sorts: artificial intelligence isn’t just knocking at the door anymore—it’s already inside, making itself comfortable.
It’s got the fridge open and is starting to prep dinner more efficiently than you could.
And now, as a result of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, there’s simply no ignoring it. The government is putting serious muscle behind AI literacy, launching a national task force, integrating AI into K–12 education, and even kicking off a Presidential AI Challenge to get students involved early.
This isn’t a future issue with which we must eventually grapple. It’s a right-now issue.
But amid all of the AI-related questions and considerations that had been simmering in the back of our minds, one simple but existential question among my coterie of liberal arts educators and educated friends has moved right to the front burner: What about the humanities?
While one may expect a bit of hand-wringing and prevaricating in response, permit me to put forward the following answer directly: We need the humanities now more than ever.
AI changes the game but it doesn’t replace the basics
If anything, AI raises the stakes for the very skills the humanities have always taught:
Critical thinking
In a world where machines crank out endless answers, the real skill is knowing what to question. Mitch Colver from American Public University and other educational leaders have suggested a sentiment that captures this best: AI can generate content but not judgment. That’s on us—and on our students.
Clear and persuasive writing
Sure, AI can write essays. It can even mimic styles. But moving a real human being—making them think, laugh, cry, act? That’s a human superpower, sharpened by humanities training.
Oral communication
No chatbot can genuinely model for you certain key elements of effective, in-person communication: timing, tone, intuition, or how to read a room. In a future packed with AI tools, the ability to connect, to speak with presence and empathy, will be a game-changer.
Close reading and interpretation
AI can summarize Moby Dick in seconds but it can’t wrestle with ambiguity—or sit with the
complicated emotions that great literature stirs up. Students who can will be the ones who truly understand the world.
Historical and cultural awareness
A global economy isn’t just about coding; it’s about appreciating context and interconnections. Cultural literacy—knowing the backstories, the values, the ethical frameworks—is what turns information into wisdom.
Ethical reasoning
New tech equals new ethical minefields. Misinformation, data privacy, AI bias—the list goes on (and on). Students trained to wrestle with moral gray areas won’t just survive; they’ll lead.
Interdisciplinary thinking
The executive order calls for interdisciplinary partnerships—and this is where humanities majors can shine. AI isn’t a silo. It’s a crossroads where history meets machine learning, philosophy meets coding and design meets data.
That’s good news because the world in which we all live isn’t terribly siloed either.
Research proficiency
Just because AI can find information fast doesn’t mean it finds the right information. Students need the grit to dig deeper, question sources and synthesize real insights.
Humanities students—trained to navigate complex texts, trace arguments across time and evaluate credibility in context—bring a level of discernment essential in the age of AI. They are uniquely equipped to interrogate what AI tells us and how and why it got there.
Empathy and human understanding
It’s not about building smarter machines. It’s about building wiser humans. Humanities education cultivates the empathy we’ll need to steer the future responsibly.
Smarter and wiser
Policies come and go. Executive orders make headlines today and fade tomorrow. But the skills the humanities teach? They’re what last.
In a world powered by AI—and shaped by forces bigger than any one administration—students need much more than tech skills. To truly flourish, they need the more enduring, platform-agnostic, transferable skills of critical thinking, ethical judgment, clear communication, cultural literacy and real empathy.
The future isn’t AI vs. the humanities. It’s AI harnessed by human wisdom.
Machines may be getting smarter. But we need the humanities to ensure that our students are getting wiser.
