Following her presentation at the 2026 NEXT AI Conference, where she addressed educators, school leaders, students, and technology stakeholders on artificial intelligence and the future of work, Victoria Iretiolu Adebayo, a digital workforce strategist and education technology leader, spoke with The Guardian about preparing people-not just technology-for the AI era.

During your presentation, you made a statement that “AI should transform workers, not simply replace them.” What did you mean by that?

Much of today’s conversation focuses on whether artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs. I think that’s the wrong question. Throughout history, technology has changed work more often than it has eliminated it entirely. The real challenge is whether people are prepared before those changes happen. If we wait until workers are displaced before investing in reskilling, we have responded too late. Preparing people must become part of how we adopt AI, not something we do after disruption occurs.

Your work appears to focus heavily on preparing people for technology rather than simply teaching technology. How did that evolve?

Over the years, I realised that knowing how to use digital tools is very different from being prepared for a digital economy. My work gradually shifted from instruction to designing pathways that help people develop practical, industry-recognised competencies.

Through structured certification programmes, mentorship, and international benchmarking, I have focused on helping learners acquire skills that are measurable, transferable, and relevant to an evolving workforce.

For more than a decade, you have designed digital talent-development pathways that have enabled thousands of learners to earn internationally recognised technology credentials. What has that experience taught you about preparing the workforce for an AI-driven economy?

It reinforced one important lesson: talent is rarely the problem. Opportunity and structure are. Over the years, we have developed programmes through which thousands of learners earned internationally recognised Microsoft certifications and participated in national and global competitions.

Those experiences demonstrated that when learners are given structured pathways, clear standards, and continuous mentorship, they can compete confidently on international platforms.

Preparing people for the future of work requires building systems that consistently develop talent rather than relying on individual effort alone.

Many organisations are restructuring as they adopt AI. Do you believe widespread job losses are inevitable?

I don’t believe displacement should be viewed as inevitable. Many jobs will certainly change, but organisations have an opportunity to redesign work while investing in the people performing it.

The conversation should not be about choosing between AI and people. It should be about helping people work effectively alongside intelligent technologies through continuous learning and adaptive workforce development.

If you could recommend one priority to schools, employers, and policymakers, what would it be?

We need to stop thinking of workforce preparation as something that begins after graduation. Future-ready skills should be intentionally developed throughout the learning journey.

Digital literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, ethical AI use, and continuous learning are becoming foundational competencies across almost every profession. Building these competencies early strengthens not only individuals but also national productivity and economic competitiveness.

Finally, what role do you hope to play in this rapidly changing landscape?

I hope to contribute to the development of scalable frameworks that help educational institutions, employers, and governments prepare people for work that is continually being reshaped by technology.

My belief is simple: the future belongs to societies that invest in people before disruption occurs. Preparing talent is no longer just an educational priority—it is an economic imperative.