Israeli Industry Experts Call for Shift to Skills-Focused AI Education

At the Calcalist and Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) Future of Industry conference, AI expert Dr. Nava Shaked emphasized the need to integrate more practical skills into academic curricula. Drawing on her 20 years in industry and academic experience, she stressed the importance of critical thinking within relevant contexts and closer collaboration between academia and industry to define educational needs.

Panelists included Avi Salmon, Intel Israel's Innovation Manager; Yaniv Yankovitz, Senior Development Manager at SAP Israel; and Sigal Gilmore, HR VP at Check Point. Gilmore highlighted that Check Point now prioritizes hiring curious, self-learning individuals over junior recruits, advocating a reversal from 80% knowledge and 20% skills to 80% skills and 20% knowledge. She urged academia to demand independent learning and critical thinking from students.

Salmon addressed the question of why study computer science today amid AI advances like ChatGPT, noting that despite AI's capabilities, deep professional understanding and philosophical knowledge remain crucial. He recounted a recent hackathon where students who engaged deeply outperformed those relying on shortcuts, underscoring the value of curiosity and learning ability.

Yankovitz described SAP's approach of upskilling employees to quickly learn new knowledge, emphasizing critical thinking and systemic vision. He warned against blindly trusting AI outputs and advocated for multidisciplinary projects from the start of academic programs.

Dr. Shaked added that HIT ensures students work in teams to solve real-world problems, including projects with local schools for students with learning disabilities and with Abarbanel Hospital to address community-specific challenges. Salmon called for joint industry-academia projects to foster innovation and diverse perspectives.

Gilmore concluded that academia must graduate students ready to contribute at senior levels, reflecting industry’s shift away from junior hires. She reiterated the need for 80% skills and 20% knowledge, encouraging students to embrace self-directed learning and broad, critical thinking.