Camilo José Cela University participated in the 5th SDG Observatory: DiagnósticODS, organised by EL ESPAÑOL, ENCLAVE ODS and Invertia at CaixaForum Madrid. Natalia Lara, lecturer and researcher at UCJC’s Faculty of Education, took part in the round-table discussion Humanism versus algorithms: the challenge of teaching artificial intelligence without widening the social divide, which examined the future of education and employment amid the advance of automation.
During her contribution, Lara argued that universities must go beyond the purely instrumental adoption of artificial intelligence and help students understand it, use it with sound judgement and assess its implications. She stressed the importance of fostering self-regulated learning, metacognition and critical thinking so that technology can make a genuine contribution to personal and professional development.
The UCJC lecturer explained that the principal challenge facing higher education is not simply to update content or teach students how to use new tools, but to “renew our models of thought”. This shift will prepare students to succeed in increasingly automated professional environments without relinquishing the judgement, creativity and human qualities that organisations require.
Natalia Lara holds a PhD in Education, with an Industrial Doctorate distinction and an Outstanding Doctorate Award. She specialises in digital product evaluation, user experience, artificial intelligence applied to learning and evidence-based instructional design. She has more than ten years’ experience across academia, the technology industry and the EdTech sector, and currently works as a lecturer, researcher and Quality Coordinator at UCJC’s Faculty of Education.
The need to promote digital literacy from the earliest stages of education
Moderated by EL ESPAÑOL journalist Elena Pérez, the discussion also featured Sara Giménez, Director General of Fundación Secretariado Gitano; Celiana Carreño Hernández, CEO and founder of Pragmia; and Laura Olcina, President of the Spanish Federation of Technology Centres (Fedit), President of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and Managing Director of the Instituto Tecnológico de Informática.
The participants agreed that digitalisation must be accompanied by connectivity, continuous training and specific measures to support vulnerable individuals and communities. They also highlighted the need to design inclusive tools, assess their impact and prevent potential discriminatory biases in algorithms.
From a business perspective, the discussion underscored the role of organisational culture and leadership in digital transformation, as well as the importance of strengthening cooperation between companies and educational institutions to develop hybrid professional profiles that combine technological knowledge with human skills and adaptability.
The debate also addressed the need to promote digital literacy from the earliest stages of education and to establish closer cooperation between public authorities, businesses, universities and technology centres. The challenges identified included regional and sectoral disparities in access to innovation and the need to respond to the specific demands of each context.
The experts concluded that the outlook for 2030 requires an ethical and human-centred approach to artificial intelligence. This transformation must place people at its core and, through partnerships between the public sector, the business community and educational institutions, turn technology into an instrument for inclusion, equal opportunities and social progress.
