Rethinking education, engineering skills, and human responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence
Prof. Dr. Tomo Popović from the University of Donja Gorica delivered a keynote presentation at the 2026 IEEE 4th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Innovation (ICAII 2026), held on October 16–18, 2026, in Beijing, China.
His keynote, “Before the Prompt, After the Answer: Adapting Higher Education for the AI Era,” explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education and challenging universities to reconsider what students need to learn in a world where information and AI-generated answers are increasingly accessible.
The presentation emphasized that general education, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and communication skills are becoming more important, not less, in the AI era. Rather than replacing these foundations, AI makes them essential for asking meaningful questions, interpreting results, and applying knowledge responsibly.
From an engineering perspective, the talk highlighted a shift in the role of engineers and IT professionals toward two critical activities: what happens before the prompt, including understanding needs and defining problems, and what happens after the answer, including verification, validation, and responsibility for outcomes.
The keynote advocated a more integrative approach to university education, connecting technical expertise with knowledge from healthcare, business, law, culture, and other disciplines. This perspective also resonates with the interdisciplinary mission of the AI-AGE project, where the responsible application of AI depends on both technological capabilities and domain-specific knowledge.
In addition to his keynote participation, Prof. Popović served as a Conference Program Chair, while Prof. Dr. Milica Vukotić from the University of Donja Gorica served as a Conference General Co-Chair, contributing to the international scientific and organizational activities of ICAII 2026.
More information: ICAII 2026 Conference | Keynote Speakers | Conference Committees
