Students see what experts miss

This week I had the opportunity to lead an AI agent building workshop for business undergrads at CU Boulder. I walked them through what AI agents actually are, and we built a chatbot using Poe and an agent using Zapier. After the walkthrough, students had the opportunity to build a bot or agent of their choice.

Creativity flowed. Students built bots for all kinds of purposes - weekly meal plans based on dietary preferences, game parlay validators, convincing study buddies, movie recommenders, and more. After the session, one student approached me about an agent he's building for academic advising, an area where the college is stretched thin on resources.

This right here is why college students need to learn AI. They have a view into unique challenges that only they can identify because they're living them. Give them the skills to solve these challenges, and you pave the way for innovations that haven't happened before.

This was reinforced during our session this week about deepfakes. We discussed the advantages and dangers of AI, and I was genuinely impressed by the maturity of thought from a room full of middle and high schoolers. They understood the dangers of deepfakes and misinformation, and they were eager to solve the challenges facing their generation. A couple of them are actively working on apps to detect deepfakes.

I'm now convinced that the only way to prepare the next generation for a world with AI is to equip them with the skills to use AI to combat the risks it creates.

-Janani

ECHO Global Challenge

Registration: Open now through early 2026

What: A global challenge empowering high school students to create innovative solutions addressing real-world problems using technology and entrepreneurship

Who: High school students worldwide, working individually or in teams

Format: Multi-phase competition where students identify problems in their communities, develop solutions, and present their innovations. Participants receive mentorship, resources, and guidance throughout the competition.

Focus Areas: Students can tackle challenges across various domains including:

What Makes It Special: ECHO provides comprehensive support throughout the journey - from ideation workshops to technical mentorship to pitch coaching. Students don't just compete; they learn entrepreneurial skills and build real solutions.

Prizes: Cash awards, recognition, mentorship opportunities, and the chance to bring real impact to communities

Perfect for: Students passionate about using technology and innovation to solve meaningful problems in their communities, those interested in entrepreneurship and social impact

A new EY report reveals a striking disconnect in the corporate world: nearly every major organization is investing heavily in generative AI, yet the majority face critical talent shortages that prevent them from implementing their AI strategies effectively.

What's driving this gap? Companies are discovering that successful AI implementation requires more than just buying the latest technology. The organizations seeing real results are those that combine technical AI capabilities with responsible AI governance, human-centered design, and teams that can think critically about when and how to deploy AI solutions.

The talent shortage isn't just about technical roles. Organizations need people across functions - from product managers to operations leaders to customer service teams - who understand how to work effectively alongside AI systems. The most valuable employees will be those who can bridge the gap between AI capabilities and practical business applications.

The race for AI talent is intensifying, and companies are looking beyond traditional hiring pools to find people with hands-on AI experience, regardless of where they gained it.

Read the full EY Future of AI report

For decades, the path seemed straightforward: choose a major, earn a degree, land a job in your field. But new research reveals that AI is dismantling this traditional pipeline faster than colleges can adapt.

Analysis of over 100 million worker profiles shows a startling reality: only about 11% of engineers working in AI roles actually hold AI-specific qualifications. Most people in AI careers didn't start there - they learned on the job or taught themselves. Even more striking: your first job is now a better predictor of your career trajectory than your college major.

This represents a fundamental shift in how careers are built. AI careers develop through iterative skill acquisition, not static degree programs. The skills that matter most - understanding how to continuously learn new AI tools, interpreting model outputs, navigating AI systems, and adapting as job tasks evolve - can't be packaged into a four-year curriculum that stays relevant.

Higher education institutions are beginning to recognize three urgent priorities. First, AI fluency must be integrated across all disciplines, not siloed in computer science departments. Second, colleges need to leverage real-time regional labor market data to align programs with actual opportunity, rather than relying on outdated assumptions about what employers need. Third, universities must reimagine their relationship with graduates as lifelong partnerships, offering stackable credentials and continuous reskilling rather than treating graduation as the end of the educational journey.

The challenge for today's students? The traditional credential that once guaranteed workforce readiness no longer aligns with how skills emerge, how roles evolve, or how people actually enter the AI economy. Success increasingly belongs not to those who master one skill set, but to those who learn how to learn, adapt, and grow continuously as technology accelerates.

The future of work may run on pathways, not credentials - which means students need to start building those pathways long before graduation.

Read the full Forbes article

This week, we're highlighting Rayhan, a 7th grader at Flintolabs who tackled a problem every PC gaming enthusiast knows too well: trying to build a custom computer while drowning in compatibility charts, conflicting Reddit advice, and the constant fear of buying parts that won't work together.

Meet PC Build Buddy - an AI-powered platform that transforms the overwhelming process of building a custom PC into an accessible, guided experience.

Here's the problem: Building a PC requires understanding motherboard chipsets, CPU socket types, RAM compatibility, power supply wattage calculations, case clearances, and dozens of other technical specifications. New builders either spend weeks researching or risk expensive mistakes buying incompatible components.

PC Build Buddy solves this with:

What makes this project remarkable isn't just the technical implementation - it's the deep understanding of user needs. The creator recognized that people don't just need a parts list; they need education and confidence. The platform explains trade-offs, helps users understand where to invest their budget, and demystifies the technical jargon that makes PC building feel inaccessible.

This is problem-solving at its best: identifying a genuine pain point, building a practical solution, and making specialized knowledge accessible to everyone.

Check out the PC Build Buddy app and pitch

Our December cohort starts on the 6th and is filling up quickly; we cap each class at 20 students to ensure personalized attention and meaningful mentorship.

Here's what makes this opportunity unique: spend just one hour every weekend for 6 months, and earn 3 college credits from a top university while building real AI applications.

That's one hour per week to:

Our small class sizes mean every student gets direct support, personalized feedback, and the attention needed to truly master the material. But it also means spots are limited.

Enroll for December cohort →

Our program has a 5-star rating with reviews from both students and parents. If you have questions before signing up, email us at [email protected].

Found this valuable? Forward this newsletter to other high schoolers and parents who want to be informed about AI trends and what is needed to prepare for an AI-driven future. Every student deserves the chance to build real skills before college.

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