Empowerment or Dependency? A Research Agenda for Human Agency in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at a pace that challenges the foundations of education, work, and research systems. Yet much of the global debate remains dominated by readiness indices, benchmark performance, adoption checklists and strategy playbooks that equate uptake with progress. This paper argues that the real axis of transformation is empowerment versus dependency. It consolidates a research agenda developed across education, qualifications, research systems, and organizational leadership, rooted in the perspective of an emerging, middle-income, fast-growth economy. Completed contributions include the AI Matrix, mapping empowerment–dependency trajectories; the AI Passport, supporting portable learning transitions; the Education Empowerment Framework; and the Iterative Human–AI Co-Creation (IHACC) model. Forthcoming work extends this agenda to research system futures, Orchestrated Intelligence, context engineering, and the role of creativity in schools as the foundation of empowerment. The paper positions AI not as a neutral technology of adoption but as a structural force that redistributes agency. Its contribution is to mark achievements to date and outline a trajectory to ensure AI strengthens rather than erodes human agency.