The Burning Glass Institute and aiEDU Release New National Research on the Skills Students Need in the Age of AI

New data-driven framework highlights how artificial intelligence is reshaping foundational skills—and what schools, policymakers, and employers must do next

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Burning Glass Institute (BGI) and the AI Education Project (aiEDU) today released a new research report, Which Skills Matter Now? A Data-Driven Framework for K–12 in the Age of AI, offering one of the most comprehensive and groundbreaking analyses to date of how generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the skills students need to succeed in a world increasingly defined by AI.

Drawing on extensive labor market data and workforce trends, the report finds that AI is not simply changing the tools people use at work. Rather, it is fundamentally redefining what mastery looks like. As routine and procedural tasks become increasingly automated, employers are placing greater value on judgment, problem-solving, and the ability to collaborate with AI. Entry-level work is evolving, with new graduates expected to arrive with skills that previously developed on the job.

"The question is no longer whether AI will change the workforce—it already is," said Alex Kotran, CEO of aiEDU. "The real question is whether our education systems are preparing students for that reality. This research shows that students need deeper understanding, stronger critical thinking, and more opportunities to apply their learning in authentic contexts. AI readiness is now a national priority."

The report introduces a new framework for understanding how skills are affected by AI, identifying which competencies should be deepened, transformed, sharpened, or applied differently in K–12 classrooms. It challenges long-standing assumptions about which subjects are most protected from automation, while upholding skills such as ethical reasoning, creative expression, and human-centered problem solving as growing in importance.

"As AI automates workplace tasks, many core subjects will be more critical to master than ever, even as the cognitive demands on students associated with mastering them are rising, not falling," said Matt Sigelman, President of the Burning Glass Institute. "Skills like writing, mathematical reasoning, and research are becoming harder, not easier, because students must learn to direct, evaluate, and challenge AI output rather than simply execute procedures."

The findings carry important implications for policymakers, school systems, and employers alike. The report calls for:

• Rethinking how schools prioritize and assess skills
• Investing in professional learning that empowers teachers as instructional designers
• Expanding access to AI tools and authentic learning opportunities
• Building cross-sector partnerships to align education and workforce systems
• Ensuring equity so that all students—not just those in well-resourced schools—develop the human-centered competencies that remain most valuable

The research also underscores that workforce readiness must not crowd out broader educational goals. Skills such as civic reasoning, leadership, creativity, and ethical judgment are essential not only for economic opportunity, but for a thriving democracy in the age of AI.

"This is not just a workforce issue—it is a societal one," added Kotran. "How we prepare students today will shape our economic competitiveness, our civic life, and our shared future." "Our research finds that 70% of K12 learning objectives will need to be taught differently," said Sigelman. "Conversations about AI in schools need to move from how to use it to what to teach and what changes are required to curriculum."

The full report is available at: burningglassinstitute.org/research/whichskillsmatternow 

About The Burning Glass Institute
The Burning Glass Institute believes that everyone deserves meaningful work and the chance to move up. The Burning Glass Institute is a fully independent, non-profit data laboratory that generates and mines novel datasets to construct innovative models, metrics, and benchmarks whose insights boost economic mobility, drive worker and community prosperity, and bring new efficiency to how talent and opportunity connect. Working at the intersection of the future of work and the future of learning, our research shapes public discourse on a range of critical topics. Our widely cited reports are regularly featured in major media outlets.

About aiEDU
The AI Education Project (aiEDU) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit devoted to making sure that all students are ready to live, work, and thrive in a world where AI is everywhere. We work with education systems to advance AI literacy and AI readiness through high quality curriculum, professional development, and strategic partnerships with states, school districts, and other systems. Since 2019, our work has reached more than 19,000 educators reaching 1.14 million students. We believe that preparing all students means supporting the educators in school systems, and families across the country, to embed AI Readiness into the core of their teaching and learning programs.

SOURCE aiEDU