Digital Trends of the Scientific and Technological Revolution: Institutional Transformations of Science and Education Systems in the Paradigm of Sustainable Social Development

Education and science play a key role in envisioning and developing a just, peaceful and sustainable society. Digitalization as one of major trends that affect the future of humanity in general and education in particular, has a special impact on education in today’s world. Education is currently lagging behind in digitization and more efforts are needed to take advantage of the tools and strengths of new technologies while addressing potential abuses such as cyber intrusions and privacy issues. Particularly, the main challenge of digitalization for sustainability currently lies in the paradoxes and contradictions of AI-based technologies: there is a confusion even among the experts as to the risks and threats that could arise out of AI usage, as well as on the image of possible forms of human-machine symbiosis. The authors argue that the solution could lie in strengthening the humanistic aspects of higher education that would allow humans to fully exercise such aspects of thinking that computers are unable to achieve, while still using the AI-based technologies controlling them to the advantage of humanity.