Education plays a pivotal role in redefining what it means to know, think critically, and imagine differently in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). As AI systems produce content and analysis with increasing fluency, they unsettle previous assumptions about creativity and knowledge. Yet AI systems cannot care, exercise judgment, or discern meaning. These capacities remain fundamentally human. Cultivating these abilities requires equipping learners to question algorithmic authority, identify bias and limitations, and combine imagination with ethical judgment. In doing so, education can ensure that AI is used as a tool for expanding human agency, rather than as a substitute for human thought.

In this context, the 2026 edition of the Prize focuses on the theme “Reimagining creativity and critical thinking with artificial intelligence”. It aims to surface and amplify evidence-based practices across diverse contexts that demonstrate how teachers and learners are engaging with AI systems in ways that encourage critical thinking, imagination and creativity.

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