Current AI education is too narrowly focused on technology and programming, warns Frank Wildenburg, a lecturer in artificial intelligence at the University of Amsterdam. In a recent opinion piece, he argues that the dominant curriculum instills a worldview of technological determinism—the belief that technological progress is inevitable and society must simply adapt.
The first part of an “average” Dutch AI bachelor’s program consists of teaching the technological and scientific foundations necessary for the field. This includes practical skills such as programming as well as fundamental theories.
At first glance, this seems like an innocent choice—you need to understand how AI systems work before you can analyze them. But presenting these theories without giving students the tools to critically evaluate them makes the foundations appear “inevitable” and “unchangeable.” In reality, this is not the case: the choice to build AI models on specific theories is also dependent on how the field has developed historically.
On top of that, ethics and societal impact, if included at all, often appear later in the program as isolated or theoretical side courses. As a result, students may graduate believing that AI development is purely a technical challenge, with ethical concerns left for others to address.
Wildenburg therefore calls for a more balanced approach, where ethical reflection and social responsibility are integrated from the start. “Programming at Google shouldn’t be seen as the only valid outcome of an AI degree,” he notes. “Policymaking, ethics, or legal work around AI deserve just as much respect.”
By reframing AI education in this way, universities can help future professionals develop a broader sense of responsibility and ensure that it is not only industry, but society as a whole, that shapes how AI evolves.
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