This study investigates the imperative to reconceptualize educational objectives in light of anthropological and philosophical disruptions catalyzed by artificial intelligence (AI), utilizing Kazakhstan as a pivotal case. The accelerated adoption of AI technologies challenges foundational educational models, traditionally centered on knowledge acquisition and utilitarian skills, while underscoring a critical deficit in fostering existential competencies. Kazakhstan presents a unique context, characterized by a Soviet-era technocratic legacy and contemporary state-driven digitalization agendas, such as "Digital Kazakhstan", which amplify these tensions.
The methodology integrates a comparative-historical analysis of educational philosophy with in-depth, semi-structured interviews with leading Kazakhstani philosophers, AI ethicists, and policy architects. This mixed-methods approach triangulates theoretical frameworks from philosophical anthropology (e.g., the concept of "promethean shame") and pragmatist pedagogy with grounded, qualitative data on local challenges and opportunities. This synthesis aims to formulate a contextually responsive educational framework that prioritizes dialogic co-creation with AI, situated ethical deliberation, and meaning curation over passive knowledge assimilation.
Initial analysis suggests that a failure to pivot towards a human-centric educational paradigm may intensify socio-digital inequalities and erode autonomous cognition within Kazakhstan. The research culminates in proposing actionable strategies for embedding existential competencies - including critical agency, ethical resilience, and identity preservation - into the core of national educational policy. This contribution advances the global discourse on AI in education while providing empirically-grounded guidance for stakeholders in rapidly modernizing nations.

Authors:
Ainur Abdina, Astana IT University, Kazakhstan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Ainur Abdina is an Associate Professor at Astana IT University and a visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ainur-abdina-5190362b4

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