Key Skills and Competences for Lifelong Learners in the Artificial Intelligence Era

Abstract

This article identifies and conceptualizes key competences essential for lifelong learners to engage critically, ethically, and effectively within AI mediated environments. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), lifelong learning must be reimagined to meet the demand for multi-dimensional competences. This study moves beyond traditional skill-based frameworks by highlighting critical awareness, relational intelligence, and future-oriented responsibility as key competencies. Grounded in connectivism, affordance theory, and transformative learning, this study conceptualizes Human-AI learning interaction across three interconnected domains including grounding personal agency, navigating human-AI relationships, and envisioning transformative futures. Methodologically, the study is informed by a comprehensive synthesis of theoretical literature, policy documents, and recent empirical research across education, technology, and lifelong learning. The article contributes a theoretically grounded and forward-looking model to inform lifelong learning policy, pedagogy, and learner development in the AI era.