A leading misconception about using Artificial Intelligence in education is the belief that it must be incorporated at the same depth across all subjects, said Rafif Srour, Dean of Programs at IE University in Spain.
In an interview with The Hindu ahead of the South Summit 2026 in Madrid, which IE University co-organised, Ms. Srour noted that while no subject should exclude AI entirely, certain fields require a more careful approach to its application.
“Now the question is how and when to use this technology,” she said. “One of the biggest misconceptions is to assume that, with this tool, we need to deeply integrate it within every one of my curriculums. I think that’s a big mistake because, if we do this, you create a false impression of knowledge.”
She illustrated the point by noting that anyone can query a large language model on quantum physics and receive lengthy responses. “Does that mean I have become a quantum physicist? Very far from it,” she added.
Ms. Srour observed that this false sense of knowledge is spreading and requires educators to remain vigilant.
“Selectively deciding when and how to use or to integrate this technology within the curricula is extremely important,” she said. “In an age where AI can automate nearly anything, what are the skills that remain or how do you want to teach your students?”
Ms. Srour, who teaches computational thinking and logical mathematical thinking, has revised her own curriculum three times in three years to adjust to AI capabilities.
“Those AI tools are becoming excellent in providing the answers,” she explained. “If I give an exercise to my students to solve at home, I know that they would solve it with the AI. Does that mean that they’ve learned what I want them to learn? Absolutely not.”
Instead, she limits AI use in class and emphasises complex, real-world scenarios. Students learn to navigate complicated systems, remove distractions, identify core elements and formulate precise problem statements before using AI to solve them.
She also highlighted a rise in “cognitive impatience” among students and stressed the need to cultivate “cognitive patience,” especially for future engineers and scientists facing uncertainty.
One method involves returning to pen-and-paper exercises for mathematical and statistical problems.
On employment, Ms. Srour noted graduates reporting greater difficulty securing jobs and longer interview processes. IE University responds by embedding industry experience in coursework through labs using current real cases, co-designed curricula and professors who work in industry.
