Education Was Built for a World That No Longer Exists | Sanjay Divakar | TEDxThird Ward Salon

What if the biggest problem with education isn't AI—but the system that existed long before AI arrived?

In this thought-provoking TEDx talk, Sanjay Divakar draws on his experience attending schools across India, Dubai, and the United States to question whether traditional education is preparing students for the world they will actually inherit.

From memorization and following instructions to rigid schedules and standardized measures of success, Sanjay explores how schools have been designed around predictability—even though the future increasingly demands adaptability, creativity, and the ability to ask better questions.

He argues that AI isn't breaking education. It's revealing where education was already broken.

If machines can memorize, calculate, generate, and complete tasks faster than humans, then perhaps the question isn't how we can compete with AI. It's whether we should continue measuring human potential by the same standards in the first place.

Sanjay challenges educators, parents, and students to rethink what school is preparing young people for—and to have the courage to let go of practices that no longer serve them.

The future of education may not require more technology.

It may require us to finally change the way we think. Sanjay Divakar is a student and emerging voice in the conversation about the future of education. Having experienced education systems in India, Dubai, and the United States, he brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to the question of how schools prepare young people for an increasingly unpredictable world.

His experiences navigating different education systems led him to question the assumptions behind traditional schooling, particularly its emphasis on memorization, instruction-following, and standardized measures of achievement.

In his TEDx talk, Sanjay explores the impact of AI on education and makes the case for a system that places greater emphasis on adaptability, curiosity, critical thinking, and asking the right questions. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx