The Minister highlighted that the rapid development of artificial intelligence has placed humanity under a new kind of evolutionary pressure. “For society to progress, we must be able to think faster, more systematically, and more creatively — at a higher cognitive level,” said Kallas, emphasizing that Estonia does not yet have all the answers. “Nevertheless, we want to be among the world’s first to experiment — bringing together teachers, researchers, and tech companies to learn and test how AI can best be used to support education."
At the Summit, Minister Kallas introduced the Estonian AI Leap Programme, which aims to develop the ability to think together with machines rather than in their place — through teachers and students alike. The programme focuses on teachers’ digital competence, students’ AI literacy, and research-based monitoring of how the use of AI tools affects learning and thinking.
The minister concluded her speech with a message: “If we can nurture a generation that uses AI to expand thinking rather than replace it, that will be our true leap forward.”
