Turing Award laureate John Hopcroft has reignited discussions about education reform during the China International Conference on Basic Education in Shanghai this week. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences member told CGTN that cultivating passion, not job-specific skills, should be education's primary focus as artificial intelligence reshapes global workplaces.
"The concept of a 'corporate employee' is barely a century old," Hopcroft noted during his December 2025 keynote address. "Rather than fearing AI's workplace impacts, we must equip youth with curiosity and adaptability through subjects they genuinely love."
His remarks come as Asian education systems face pressure to balance technological training with human-centric skills development. Recent World Economic Forum data shows 43% of Asia's workforce will require significant reskilling by 2027 due to AI adoption.
The conference has drawn particular attention from business leaders and policymakers across Asia, where governments are currently revising national education frameworks. Hopcroft emphasized: "When students pursue authentic interests, they develop the creative problem-solving abilities no algorithm can replicate."
