In an AI world, human skills matter most: global study shows students strengthen critical capabilities by up to 72%

As AI accelerates into classrooms and workplaces around the world, a new global study suggests the real advantage for the next generation won’t be technical fluency alone, but it will be the human skills that technology cannot replicate.

Nord Anglia Education, the world’s leading international schools organisation, has published the final report from its two-year Metacognition Research project in partnership with the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College.

The findings show that when students are explicitly taught to understand how they learn, they significantly strengthen the very human capabilities AI cannot replicate, by as much as 72%.

The global study spanned 29 schools in 20 countries, involving more than 12,000 students and 5,000 teachers. Over 500,000 student reflections were captured through Nord Anglia’s purpose-built platform, designed to measure growth in skills that are traditionally difficult to quantify.

Teaching the skills AI can’t replace

While AI can generate answers instantly, it cannot replace skills like collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

Teachers involved in the research reported students’ measurable gains across all of these ‘durable human’ skills:

• +72% in collaboration
• +70% in curiosity
• +69% in creativity
• +68% in critical thinking
• +60% in commitment
• +59% in compassion

Daily use of simple, structured “Thinking Routines” - short reflection strategies embedded into classroom practice - drove particularly strong results, with gains of at least 40% across all skills, and up to 50% in curiosity and compassion.

In addition:

• Up to 96% of teachers believe metacognition prepares students for success beyond school.
• 78% reported stronger student reflection.
• 71% observed greater independence.
• And 85% of students say they now understand their strengths more clearly.

Preparing students to lead, not compete, with AI

Dr Kate Erricker, Group Head of Education Research and Global Partnerships at Nord Anglia Education, said: “AI can process information at scale. What it can’t do is help a child understand how they think, adapt when faced with uncertainty, or collaborate meaningfully with other people. Our research shows that when students build metacognitive awareness, they become more confident, independent, and resilient. It’s why we’re helping our students develop those capabilities for success in an AI-driven world.”

Read Nord Anglia’s report here.