Why OpenAI’s education head Leah Belsky believes AI is essential for students and future professionals

Leah Belsky, OpenAI’s Vice President of Education, is calling on students to rethink how they use artificial intelligence. Rather than treating tools like ChatGPT as shortcuts for answers, she believes students must learn to use AI in their daily lives—especially if they want to thrive in today’s job market.

AI as an essential workplace skill
Speaking on an OpenAI podcast, Belsky said AI literacy is now a core competency for any graduate. “Any graduate who leaves an institution today needs to know how to use AI in their daily life. And that will come in both where they’re applying for jobs as well as when they start their new job,” she said. Workers who know how to use AI tools effectively are already showing higher productivity, she added.

From answer machine to thinking partner
Belsky warned that using AI simply to get answers undermines learning. “If students use AI as an answer machine, they are not going to learn,” she said. Instead, she urged students and educators to use AI in ways that expand critical thinking and creativity. Like a calculator, she said, AI’s value depends entirely on how it’s used.

Study Mode promotes active learning
To support this shift, OpenAI recently introduced a new “Study Mode” in ChatGPT. Designed with input from educators, the feature encourages students to engage with topics through guided questions and tailored explanations. The tool uses a Socratic approach, helping users build deeper understanding instead of copying solutions. It’s available globally and was extensively tested in India during its beta phase.