Artificial intelligence is already part of the daily lives of companies, schools, and society. Tools capable of producing texts, creating images, automating tasks, and analyzing large volumes of data are evolving at a pace that challenges even those who closely follow technological transformations. Given this scenario, a question is gaining increasing prominence among educators and leaders: if machines take over repetitive and operational tasks, what skills will differentiate the professionals of the future?
This was the main reflection of the lecture “Human and Technological: The New Architecture of Future Skills”, presented by Alan Jhones, Bruno Lyra and Guilherme Goulart, hosts of the podcast “O Boss Tá On”, during the Edu Summit 2026, one of the main innovation and education events in the country.
As a partner and sponsor of the event, PagCorp participated in the initiative, reinforcing its close relationship with the education sector, one of the pillars of economic and social development, and its commitment to driving digital transformation through solutions that make management smarter, more efficient, and more strategic.
Throughout the presentation, the speakers converged on one essential point: the advancement of artificial intelligence does not diminish the importance of people. On the contrary. In an increasingly automated environment, characteristics such as creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and relationship building become even more relevant. Technology will continue to evolve, but it will be human beings who give it direction, context, and purpose.
The speed of technological advancement demands a new way of educating.
The transformations brought about by artificial intelligence are happening at an unprecedented speed. New features are launched daily, platforms receive constant updates, and tools that represent innovation today can become obsolete in a few months. For Bruno Lyra, this scenario demands that education move away from training students solely to memorize content and start developing individuals prepared for continuous learning.
“We live in a society where software updates are so fast that, by the time you put the coffee on the table, it hasn't had time to cool down before you have to forget everything you've learned and learn it all over again. What are we teaching our students? The way we promote education, aiming for a future of empowerment, autonomy, and benefit to society, is changing,” Lyra stated.
According to the expert, the challenge for educational institutions goes beyond incorporating new technologies in the classroom. It is necessary to prepare students for a constantly transforming market, in which technical knowledge remains important, but needs to go hand in hand with the ability to interpret scenarios, solve unprecedented problems, collaborate, and adapt quickly to change.
This reflection also engages with the transformation experienced by the educational institutions themselves. In an increasingly complex environment, technology and automation cease to represent merely operational gains and become tools capable of freeing up time for strategic decisions and for what no machine can replace: the development of people.
Artificial intelligence empowers those who possess knowledge.
Although the advancement of AI raises concerns about the replacement of professionals, Guilherme Goulart argued that technology does not diminish the importance of human knowledge. On the contrary, the greater the repertoire of those who use an artificial intelligence tool, the better the results obtained.
To illustrate this idea, he compared two people using the exact same platform to generate an image. While an average user would make a generic request, an experienced photographer would be able to guide the tool using technical concepts about lighting, lenses, composition, and depth of field. The technology would be the same; the difference would lie in the knowledge of the person conducting the process.
“We cannot stop transmitting knowledge to our students. After all, what is the limit of technology? The limit of technology is you. It is your repertoire that will bring results or not for the technology. Technology is here to enhance, not to replace,” revealed Goulart.
This logic also explains why hybrid skills are becoming increasingly valued. Knowing how to use artificial intelligence will be important, but insufficient. The differentiating factor will continue to be the ability to interpret information, create connections, understand people, and transform data into decisions.
Critical thinking will be one of the most important skills of the future.
If artificial intelligence produces answers in a few seconds, it is up to people to evaluate their quality. Alan Jhones drew attention to this challenge when recounting a situation in which ChatGPT presented incorrect information about the origin of the defensive midfielder position in football. The error was only noticed because he was already familiar with the subject.
“If we don’t have the background knowledge on the subject we’re going to talk about, we can easily be misled. There is no world without artificial intelligence anymore. There’s no going back. But we need to teach our students how to use this tool,” said Jhones.
This reflection highlights that one of the main responsibilities of education will be to develop critical thinking. More than just accessing information, students will need to learn to question answers, validate sources, interpret contexts, and understand that artificial intelligence does not replace human judgment.
Alan also pointed out that the job market itself is undergoing rapid transformation. Many professions will be redefined by automation, while new careers will emerge from technologies that are still being developed. In this scenario, training professionals prepared to learn continuously becomes more important than preparing them for a single role.
“When we talk about the future of education, it’s not just human or technological. It’s both human and technological. Nothing will replace our voice, our gaze, our affection, and our sensitivity. But artificial intelligence is here to accelerate processes, and it’s up to us to use it consciously,” she revealed.
Technology to empower people
The main message from the debate is that digital transformation only makes sense when it puts people at the center. Artificial intelligence will continue to take over repetitive tasks, accelerate processes, and expand organizations' analytical capabilities. However, strategic decision-making, creativity, empathy, and relationship building will remain essentially human attributes.
This vision also guides PagCorp's actions. By developing solutions that automate financial routines, simplify the control of corporate expenses, and make management more efficient, the company helps educational institutions and organizations from different sectors to dedicate less time to bureaucratic processes and more energy to what truly generates impact: innovation, strategy, and people development.
At a time when artificial intelligence is redefining how we learn and work, technology ceases to be an end in itself and assumes its most important role: to expand human potential. After all, the future will not be built solely by intelligent machines, but by people capable of using them responsibly, critically, and purposefully.
Discover PagCorp and transform your company's corporate expense management with automated processes and real-time reports. Schedule a demo!
Image: PagCorp
