CodersTrust Chairman Aziz Ahmad Highlights the Need to Move Beyond Digital Skills in the Age of AI

In his latest article, “Beyond Digital Literacy: Teaching Our Children and Youth to See Opportunities in the Age of AI,” Mr. Ahmad draws on his experience in the technology industry and more than a decade of work with CodersTrust to explain why traditional skills training alone may not be enough to prepare young people for the changing job market.

He introduces the concept of “affordance literacy,” which focuses on helping people recognize what technology makes possible and use those possibilities to solve problems, develop services, and create economic opportunities.

Highlighting Bangladesh as an example, Mr. Ahmad notes that while digital access and skills training are important, they must be connected to real market needs, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship. He also points out that AI is changing traditional jobs while creating new possibilities for individuals and businesses.

Drawing on CodersTrust’s experience training more than 130,000 young people across programs in 15 countries, Mr. Ahmad emphasizes the importance of connecting education with practical experience, employers, customers, mentorship, and international professional networks.

He also encourages universities, governments, employers, and technology companies to work together to help young people become capable problem-solvers and opportunity creators. According to Mr. Ahmad, success should be measured not only by the number of people trained but also by improvements in employment, income, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic well-being.

The article presents a broader vision for education in the AI era: moving beyond simply teaching people how to use technology toward helping them apply it to create value for themselves and their communities.

As Mr. Ahmad concludes, the future will depend not only on access to AI but also on people’s ability to recognize its possibilities, solve meaningful problems, and create opportunities for others.

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Beyond Digital Literacy: Teaching Our Children and Youth to See Opportunities in the Age of AI