What does the future of work and education look like when AI can accomplish in a few months what electricity took 80 years to achieve?

Chike Aguh, senior advisor at Harvard University's Project on Workforce, takes us through technological revolutions of the past and present, highlighting what makes generative AI fundamentally different – namely, its unprecedented speed of deployment and the fact that even its creators cannot fully predict its capabilities.

Drawing from his experience as a 2nd grade teacher in New York, Chike offers practical visions of how AI can transform education not by replacing teachers, but by creating more space for students to develop "timeless skills" like leadership, collaboration, and conflict resolution that cannot be learned from books alone. Such skills (unlike the technical "just-in-time skills" that AI is starting to effectively handle) are developed through practice, coaching, and real-world experience.

Chike also says that our AI future isn't predetermined. With demographic trends pointing toward a shrinking workforce, he argues we'll need "all the people and all the AI" working together. But that requires intentional decisions about how we deploy these technologies. Educators play a crucial role in this process – not necessarily as technical experts, but as guides helping students develop frameworks for using AI tools purposefully and ethically.

Want to understand how to prepare yourself or your students for an AI-transformed world? Listen as Chike offers specific, actionable guidance for educators and parents who are navigating this uncharted territory alongside their students.

Learn more about Chike and the Project on Workforce:

• pw.hks.harvard.edu/
• linkedin.com/company/project-on-workforce/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

AI is shifting the ground beneath our feet.

In this week's episode with Emmy-winning TV producer Gavin Purcell, we explore how AI differs fundamentally from previous tech trends like crypto, blockchain, and the metaverse.

Drawing from his unique perspective in traditional Hollywood and cutting-edge tech, Gavin explains how reasoning models represent a quantum leap beyond simple prompt engineering toward truly intuitive human-machine interaction.

The conversation turns particularly fascinating when exploring creative industries, where Gavin introduces the concept of "micro-studios" – small teams using AI to produce content that previously required hundreds of professionals. Through a live demonstrations with AI voice companion Maya and popular examples of AI-generated video, Gavin shows how close we already are to genuinely engaging artificial entities.

And since we're aiEDU, we also had to dive into what this means for education, careers, and human connection. How do we prepare students for a world where traditional skills are augmented or potentially replaced by AI? What happens when digital companions become more consistent and accommodating than the humans in our lives? These questions don't have simple answers, but they demand our attention.

And be sure to check out Gavin's AI For Humans YouTube series:

• aiforhumans.show
• linkedin.com/in/gavin-purcell-873060138/

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/

What happens when we invest in entrepreneurs who've been overlooked by traditional venture capital?

Shawna Young, CEO of Camelback Ventures, has dedicated her career to answering that question by giving transformative support to founders from underrepresented communities.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Shawna chronicles her journey from AP science teacher in North Carolina to leader of an organization that has invested in 180+ founders across the country – not just in Silicon Valley. Her personal story illustrates Camelback Ventures' mission to identify brilliant entrepreneurs who are solving problems in their own overlooked communities.

Camelback's approach tackles a fundamental gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, where brilliant ideas often fizzle out not from lack of merit but from lack of access to networks and capital. Now in their tenth year of operation, Camelback continue to invest in founders from the education, fintech, and health tech spaces.

Learn more about Shawna and Camelback Ventures:

• camelbackventures.org/
• linkedin.com/company/camelback-ventures

aiEDU: The AI Education Project

• aiEDU.org
• linkedin.com/company/aiedu/