Wake Forest Computer Science professor, William Cochran, who also holds an affiliation with the Program for Leadership and Character, developed a popular first year seminar called AI and Humanity: Foundations for Our Future. In Part 1 of this multi-part episode, William talks to Michael and Ryan about the impetus for creating the course, the mechanics of running it, how he assesses the students, the relevant course materials, and how it has evolved each semester that he’s taught it. After listening to the professor, stay tuned all week for the subsequent episode segments as we get the opportunity to hear the actual student assignments.

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Wake Forest Entrepreneurship professor, Alise Raak, packs this episode with mind-blowing AI teaching strategies, eye-popping Claude Code use cases, and even simple non-techie tips. She takes the listeners on a tour de force of fully integrating artificial intelligence into the teaching curriculum using her business owner's practitioner mindset. And along the way, she uncovers a secret that every hiring manager must know about college graduates' level of AI proficiency.

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What do you get when you cram four brilliant and opinionated higher education intellectuals together in a room? A rousing conversation on the hottest topics in education today—teaching and learning with AI. Join us as we listen to Betsy, Erin, Tobias, and Will discuss and debate the merits and pitfalls of generative artificial intelligence's integration into the modern learning environment.

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Michael had his chance to ask Ryan a series of blind questions about AI. Now the tables have turned.

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Wake Forest alum, Dr. Ryan Melvin, is here to teach us about the hidden dangers of toxic tech productivity. Now at UAB leading emerging technologies efforts, he tells us how he runs his modern AI classroom, defines the radical shift in the medical field because of powerful specialized artificial intelligence models, and shares the magic he produces by talking to the machines. But he also warns us that the addictive dopamine hits from current AI coding techniques can present perils to our precious human time.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, help is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 for immediate support. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services or your local crisis hotline.

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Ryan and Michael pull back the curtain on their personal AI workflows — from Claude and Gemini to Suno and NotebookLM. They share the tools they rely on daily, the custom apps they've built, and the surprisingly simple ways AI has made their lives easier. If you've ever wondered what putting AI to real use actually looks like, this episode is it.

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Professors call it plagiarism. Corporate boards call it a baseline job requirement. "Unintentional Mentors" author and tech executive Seth Carpien exposes the massive, worrying disconnect between college classrooms and real-world employment. Are students being properly prepared for life after school? Compounding that thought, if everyday junior level tasks are entirely outsourced to automation, how will the next generation ever grow to become leaders? As a parent of three college students himself, Seth sees the reality where we're diving headfirst into the looming career gap that universities might be fumbling, and why the corporate ladder is suddenly missing its bottom rungs.

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How are todays students actually using AI behind closed doors? Wake Forest's Becket Spencer joins the podcast to peel back the curtain on his daily workflow. He breaks down how he leverages custom AI dashboards and autonomous market agents to test business theories and manage his workload. If youve ever wanted to construct a personalized digital infrastructure from scratch without writing a single line of traditional code, Becket has your blueprint.

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At the Wake Forest School of Business, we are preparing students not simply to navigate the AI era — but to shape it. Because in a world transformed by intelligent systems, principled leadership matters more than ever. For todays students, AI literacy in business is not optional. It is foundational to effective leadership. This reflects a reality that artificial intelligence in business is no longer experimental. It is operational. Join Executive Director of Experiential Learning and Innovation, Shannon McKeen, as we talk about the School of Business's award-winning all in approach to integrating artificial intelligence.

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How do you prepare today's business leaders for a world that changes overnight? What do you do when the textbook updates itself every single week? Academic Director, Dr. Carm Taglienti, breaks down the creation of Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies’ hot new graduate degree. Here's a hint. It's not about technical programming, but instead executive decision-making, ethical scaling, and operational management. Discover how higher ed is shifting to build an agile curriculum that stays ahead of volatile industry demands.

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