According to Aviation Week, industry executives at MRO Europe 2025 expressed concern that schools are teaching the wrong lessons about generative AI, focusing on preventing plagiarism rather than teaching students how to leverage the technology. Pratt & Whitney’s VP Keren Rambow emphasized that both schools and industry need to recruit people who know how to use AI effectively, particularly as maintenance workforces face knowledge transfer challenges with retiring experienced staff. This disconnect between education and industry needs reveals deeper challenges in workforce preparation.
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The AI Collaboration Gap
The fundamental issue extends beyond simple tool usage to what I’ve observed as a critical gap in human-AI collaboration skills. While schools focus on foundational knowledge, they’re missing the crucial middle ground where professionals must learn to delegate tasks to AI systems, interpret their outputs, and maintain ultimate accountability. This isn’t about replacing human expertise but creating what industry experts call “centaur teams” – human-AI partnerships where each component does what it does best. The aircraft maintenance industry, with its stringent safety requirements, represents an extreme case where this collaboration must be flawless.
Critical Industry Challenges
The aviation sector faces unique challenges that make this skills gap particularly dangerous. Unlike creative or administrative fields where AI errors might be inconvenient, in Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance, AI misinterpretations could have catastrophic consequences. The industry is grappling with how to validate AI recommendations while maintaining the speed benefits the technology promises. What’s missing from the conversation is the need for standardized verification protocols and the development of what I’d term “AI skepticism” – the ability to question AI outputs without dismissing them entirely.
Broader Workforce Implications
This isn’t just an aviation problem – it’s a fundamental shift affecting all technical professions. The skills Ben Jacob described for breaking down tasks for AI systems and verifying outputs represent a new category of meta-skills that traditional education hasn’t addressed. Industries from healthcare to engineering are discovering that artificial intelligence doesn’t eliminate the need for human expertise but transforms it into a supervisory and interpretive role. The companies that succeed will be those that develop training programs bridging this gap, essentially creating their own educational pathways.
Realistic Solutions and Outlook
The solution requires more than curriculum changes – it demands a rethinking of how we measure competency in technical fields. Expect to see industry certifications evolving to include AI collaboration skills, and forward-thinking companies establishing closer partnerships with technical schools. The location of these discussions in London at a major industry event signals that this is becoming a strategic priority rather than a theoretical concern. Within two years, I predict we’ll see the first aviation-specific AI collaboration certifications emerge, setting standards that other safety-critical industries will follow.
