Lubna Hanna Ammari

For decades, access to knowledge, education quality and professional opportunities have been among the main factors shaping people’s ability to compete in the labor market. Today, a new question is emerging worldwide: could artificial intelligence become a tool that reduces these differences rather than creating new forms of inequality? For Jordan, a country with a young and highly educated population facing persistent challenges related to employment and skills alignment, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) presents a significant opportunity to rethink how young people acquire knowledge, develop capabilities, and participate in the digital economy.

The global conversation around artificial intelligence has often focused on job displacement and automation. However, a growing body of research suggests that the impact of AI will depend largely on how societies adopt and integrate these technologies. A recent experimental study examining the relationship between generative AI and productivity differences found that AI assistance improved performance across participants, with larger gains among individuals with lower levels of education. The findings suggest that GenAI has the potential to narrow productivity gaps by providing individuals with access to guidance, problem-solving support, and knowledge resources that were previously available mainly to those with greater educational advantages.

This does not mean that AI can replace education or human expertise. Rather, it indicates that AI can act as an amplifier of human potential when combined with critical thinking, digital literacy, and effective learning strategies. The real opportunity lies not in giving people access to AI tools alone, but in ensuring that they know how to use these tools responsibly and effectively.

For Jordan, this discussion is particularly relevant. The Kingdom has recognised artificial intelligence as a strategic priority through the Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan 2023–2027, which aims to strengthen national capabilities, develop skills, support research, and integrate AI into key sectors including education, employment, and economic development. The challenge now is moving from strategy to meaningful impact: ensuring that AI reaches students, graduates, entrepreneurs, and workers across different regions and backgrounds.

Jordan’s youth represent both a challenge and an opportunity. With a large proportion of the population under the age of 30, the country has a valuable human resource that can drive innovation and economic growth. However, many young graduates continue to face difficulties transitioning from education to employment, partly because the skills demanded by employers are changing rapidly. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights that technological change, including advances in generative AI, is accelerating the transformation of workplace skills and increasing the importance of digital, analytical, and adaptive capabilities.

In this context, generative AI could become a powerful equalizer for Jordanian youth. A university student in a smaller city, a recent graduate seeking career guidance, or an entrepreneur starting a small business can use AI tools to access explanations, develop ideas, improve communication, analyze information, and learn new skills. The technology has the potential to reduce barriers created by differences in access to expensive training programs, specialised expertise, or professional networks.

However, access alone will not guarantee equal benefits. A new divide may emerge between those who can effectively interact with AI and those who cannot. Recent research suggests that the value individuals gain from generative AI depends not only on having access to the technology, but also on their ability to ask effective questions, evaluate AI-generated information, and combine AI assistance with their own knowledge and judgement. Therefore, AI literacy should become an essential component of education and workforce development in Jordan.

Universities, vocational institutions and training providers have a critical role to play in this transformation. Instead of treating AI only as a technological subject limited to computer science disciplines, institutions should integrate AI literacy across fields such as business, tourism, healthcare, engineering and the humanities. Future graduates will not only need technical skills but also the ability to collaborate with intelligent systems, verify information, solve complex problems and use technology ethically.

At the policy level, Jordan should focus on building an inclusive AI ecosystem. This requires expanding digital skills programs, supporting educators and trainers, encouraging responsible AI adoption in workplaces, and ensuring that young people outside major urban centers have equal opportunities to benefit from these technologies. The World Bank has recently highlighted that developing economies may gain significantly from AI adoption if they address key foundations such as skills development, digital infrastructure, and access to technology.

Generative AI should not be viewed as a shortcut that replaces learning, nor as a technology that automatically solves economic challenges. Its value depends on human choices: how we design education systems, prepare our workforce, and ensure that technological progress benefits society as a whole.

For Jordan, the question is no longer whether artificial intelligence will influence the future of work and education; it already is. The more important question is whether Jordan can use AI strategically to empower its young generation. If implemented with a focus on skills, inclusion, and responsible use, generative AI could become more than a productivity tool. It could become an equalizer that helps transform the country’s greatest asset “its people” into a more competitive and innovative workforce.

The author is a specialist in educational technology