LONDON—Schools are teaching the wrong lessons about generative AI and should focus on teaching students how to leverage the technology, according to Keren Rambow, Pratt & Whitney’s VP commercial engine aftermarket transformation.
“I have an 18- and a 20-year-old, and I still think the school system is not focused on the right thing,” she said during an engine maintenance panel at MRO Europe 2025 in London. “They’re focused on how to stop kids plagiarizing using AI, but they should be teaching them how to use it to do their jobs better. We as an industry need to think about the same thing: How we recruit people who know how to use it.”
Rambow’s panel was asked about the potential for AI to assist with knowledge transfer as maintenance workforces become increasingly youthful following an exodus of senior, experienced staff.
“It will be an enabler but it’s no substitute for the experience of the shop floor,” commented Fernando Comenge, director of strategy, transformation and supply chain at Iberia Maintenance.
Of course, MRO providers need to get recruits through the door first, and in this respect the use of generative AI and other innovative technologies such as augmented reality could play a significant role in attracting young talent, said Klaus-Peter Leinauer, SVP group commercial for Europe, Middle East and Africa, HAECO, during a panel on aging fleets.
Ben Jacob, CEO of Zymbly, a start-up developing AI assistance for aircraft maintenance, was on a specialist AI panel at the conference. Speaking afterward to Aviation Week, he explained the skills that students may need.
“Schools are doing a strong job building foundational knowledge. What is missing is preparation for how the modern workforce is evolving. In industries like engineering, law and medicine, professionals are being asked to collaborate with AI systems; break down tasks for them, verify their output and stay fully accountable for the final decision. That is the skillset students need to master before they enter the workforce to remain globally competitive.”
