Designing Schools

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan Bauschard explore groundbreaking findings from a study released by OpenAI and Anthropic on how people are really using AI tools like ChatGPT. From tutoring and personalized learning to writing assistance and decision-making, they break down what 700 million weekly users reveal about how AI is transforming everyday life. With special focus on education, agency, and future-ready skills, this conversation is a wake-up call for schools, institutions, and leaders to move from committees to action.

Timestamps

00:01:00 – Inside the Data: 700 Million Weekly Users and What They're Doing with AI

• A look at the NBER study's key insights, showing a dramatic rise in personal, non-work AI use.

00:04:30 – Top 3 Use Cases: Tutoring, Information Seeking, and Writing Support

• A breakdown of the three most common AI usage themes and their significance in education.

00:13:00 – The Gender Gap Closes and the Myth of Coding-Centric AI

• Exploration of shifting demographics and the broader applications of AI beyond STEM.

00:20:00 – Why Agency is the New Literacy in the Age of AI

• Connecting data trends with the need for self-directed learning and decision-making skills.

00:32:00 – Brandeis University’s Bold Move to Reinvent Higher Ed for an AI Future

• A case study in institutional agility and what it means to act—not wait—in a rapidly evolving world.

Resources Mentioned

• How Are People Using ChatGPT
• Anthropic Economic Index
• Brandeis University: Reinventing the Liberal Arts

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• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.
• 📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This episode explores the evolving impact of AI on the job market, especially its disproportionate effects on younger workers and recent graduates. Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan analyze the recent paper "Canaries in the Coal Mine", revealing how automation and augmentation are reshaping employment trends and urging educational leaders to rethink how students are being prepared for an AI-driven future.

Timestamps

[00:02:00] Rethinking the AI and Jobs Debate

• Sabba challenges the binary narrative of “AI taking jobs” and advocates for a more nuanced view focused on redesigning existing roles and preparing for emerging ones.

[00:05:00] Key Takeaways from ‘Canaries in the Coal Mine’

• Discussion of six major findings from the Stanford/Hi-Pact paper, highlighting declines in employment for young workers in AI-exposed jobs like coding and entry-level marketing.

[00:10:00] Disconnect Between Education and Workforce Needs

• Reflection on how high schools and colleges must pivot from traditional learning models to design thinking and durable skills to help students remain relevant.

[00:26:00] How to Be ‘AI Capable’ at Work

• Breakdown of Zapier’s model distinguishing AI-capable, adaptive, and transformative roles—with implications for what employers now expect from applicants.

[00:32:00] Notebook LM and Smarter Learning Workflows

• Introduction to Google's Notebook LM as a transformative educational tool, enabling students to better engage with readings and improve learning outcomes using AI.

Resources Mentioned

• 📄 Paper: Canaries in the Coal Mine: Six Facts About Recent Employment Effects of AI by Erik Brynjolfsson and colleagues
• 🗓️ Stanford Seminar (Sept 29): In-depth discussion of the Canaries in the Coal Mine findings

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.
• 📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This week, Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan explore the rapidly blurring boundaries between humans and machines, from emotional bonds with AI companions to the systemic divide between individual and institutional AI use. With thought-provoking stories, emerging research, and bold perspectives, they uncover how our emotional, educational, and professional systems are unprepared for the new AI-infused reality and what we can do about it.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] When AI Becomes a Friend: Mustafa Suleyman's Warning

• Sabba opens with reflections on AI's emotional mimicry and the psychological fallout when users felt they "lost a friend" with GPT model changes.

[00:03:00] Companions or Crutches? Emotional Overload and Mental Health

• Stefan shares data on AI addiction, time spent on Character.AI, hospitalizations, and the societal implications of simulated friendships.

[00:17:00] The GenAI Divide: Individual vs. Organizational Adoption

• MIT's study reveals how individuals thrive using AI, while institutions lag behind—highlighting why experimentation alone isn't enough.

[00:26:00] Microsoft’s 3 Phases of AI: Why Most Orgs Are Stuck in Phase 1

• Sabba introduces a powerful framework on AI integration—from assistants to teammates to agents—and why moving beyond Phase 1 is critical.

[00:32:00] The Real Divide: Education vs. Workforce and How Youth Must Adapt

• As college degrees lose value and entry-level jobs shrink, the hosts argue for design thinking and entrepreneurial mindsets in schools.

Resources Mentioned

• Mustafa Suleyman's blog: Seemingly Conscious AI
• SpiralBench: Benchmark testing AI models for delusional reinforcement
• New York Times article: "What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life"
• MIT study: The GenAI Divide led by Professor Nitin Nanda
• Microsoft Work Trend Index: Three Phases of AI Integration

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.
• 📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In this episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan explore the evolving relationships people, especially students are forming with AI tools like ChatGPT-5 and other AI tools. From the surprising emotional reactions to AI model updates to the rise of AI-powered toys for children, they dissect what these developments mean for education, ethics, and the future of learning. This conversation challenges educators to reconsider how we define thinking, agency, and integrity in an AI-integrated world.

Timestamps

• [00:01:00] What AI Can Already Do – Sabba outlines the capabilities of the newest AI tools, setting the stage for a deeper conversation on mindset and systems change.
• [00:05:00] Emotional Attachments to ChatGPT – Stefan discusses the backlash to ChatGPT-5 and the unexpected grief users expressed over losing GPT-4.
• [00:13:00] Personalization, Vulnerability, and Ethics – The hosts explore how AI companies are leaning into emotional design and what this means for young people’s agency and decision-making.
• [00:20:00] AI-Powered Toys and the Future of Childhood – Sabba introduces the topic of AI toys like Curio and their implications for learning, imagination, and privacy.
• [00:31:00] Redefining Thinking in an AI World – A reflection on what it means to “think” today, featuring Des Hassabis’s definition and how educators can redesign learning for agency and depth.

Resources Mentioned

• ⁠ChatGPT-5 - updates + relationship⁠
• ⁠Chatbots + Toys⁠

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.
• 📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This episode unpacks the viral claim, “AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use it will,” exploring its deeper implications. Sabba and Stefan discuss how cultivating high-agency learners and leaders — who can adapt, make decisions, and build trust — is far more critical than simply learning AI tools. With practical strategies and thought-provoking insights, the conversation challenges educators, parents, and leaders to foster resilience and human connection in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

Timestamps

00:00 – The Viral Lie: “AI won’t take your job…”

• Sabba challenges the popular soundbite and introduces the real question: Who can lead and adapt when no one else comes to save them?

03:00 – Greg Eisenberg’s Perspective on AI and Jobs

• Exploring Greg Eisenberg’s viral post and its implications for the workforce, entrepreneurship, and education.

09:00 – Building High-Agency Learners vs. Teaching AI Tools

• Why persistence, curiosity, and decision-making matter more than ever — and why perfection and compliance no longer serve students or employees.

27:00 – The Rise of AI Companions and the Loneliness Crisis

• Discussing the concerning trend of kids (and adults) turning to AI for companionship, and what it says about human relationships.

36:00 – Practical Strategies: Frameworks and Tools to Cultivate Agency

• Concrete ways schools and organizations can foster high-agency environments, including examples from Desert Sands USD and Gemini AI.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Resources Mentioned

• Greg Eisenberg’s LinkedIn post - How Does AI Play Out
• AI Companions and Kids

In this episode of Designing Schools, Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan Bauschard explore the transformative shift from individual AI use to organizational deployment. They discuss Google's LearnLM principles, Gemini's enterprise tools, and how AI agents are changing the skills and mindset needed for leadership and collaboration. Through reflections, real-world examples, and critical insights, they outline how to move beyond using AI as an assistant and start managing it as a teammate.⏱️

Timestamps

• [00:01:00] Resetting for Impact: Sabba reflects on the first half of the year and clarifies her focus on organizational AI deployment.
• [00:06:00] Students, Parents, and AI: Stefan shares insights from his AI & entrepreneurship class and reactions to AI tools.
• [00:07:00] Google's LearnLM & Gemini: Unpacking the five principles of LearnLM and their implications for education.
• [00:19:00] OECD AI Capability Review: What AI can and can’t do yet — and how it measures up on skills like creativity, metacognition, and problem-solving.
• [00:40:00] From AI Assistant to Teammate: Why managing AI agents is a leadership challenge and how to move from individual use to enterprise deployment.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Resources Mentioned

• Google Updates from ISTE
• Goldman Sachs CIO - We Must Prepare AI Native sand Being a People First Organization
• OECD AI Capability Index
• Gemini + Canva Course - Join our mini course and learn how to build your AI Dream Team

This episode explores how the evolving job market prioritizes AI fluency, adaptability, and mindset over traditional qualifications. Sabba and Stefan dissect recent research and reports, highlighting how education must adapt to prepare learners for a future where AI is a collaborator, not a cheat code. They also spotlight real-world education leaders and systems successfully navigating this transformation.

Timestamps

[00:01:00] The Résumé is Out, AI Fluency is In

• Sabba unpacks a Fortune article on how companies now prioritize AI skills and mindset over experience or degrees.

[00:04:00] Refusing AI Isn’t an Option

• Stefan raises concerns about higher ed’s disconnect, especially around ethical objections to using AI in learning environments.

[00:10:00] Sandbox Interviews and Soft Skills Reimagined

• Discussion of new hiring practices including live AI collaborations and how soft skills like curiosity are redefined.

[00:23:00] Stanford’s Human-AI Collaboration Study

• Deep dive into new research from Stanford that maps out AI integration across roles, emphasizing shared human-AI agency.

[00:36:00] Barbie Gets AI: The Future Starts in the Toybox

• Insights on the Mattel–OpenAI partnership and how early AI exposure through toys will shape children’s perceptions and skills.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Resources Mentioned

• Fortune Magazine article on AI hiring trends
• Stanford’s “Future of Work with AI Agents” study
• Diary of a CEO interview with Geoffrey Hinton
• Mattel and OpenAI partnership announcement
• AI Power Circle program: Join the AI Power Circle

This episode explores how emerging signals from viral LinkedIn posts to global entrepreneurship trends are revealing cracks in traditional education. Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan discuss the urgent need to move from robotic, standardized systems toward cultivating creativity, curiosity, and entrepreneurial thinking, especially as AI reshapes what it means to learn, lead, and connect. They share stories that inspire a mindset shift, from kids in Nepal launching businesses to how companies like Zapier are reimagining onboarding with AI.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Redefining Human vs. Robotic

• Kevin Scott’s insight: AI isn’t replacing people—it’s replacing people who act like machines.

[00:02:00] A Parent’s Frustration Goes Viral

• Matt Pier’s viral LinkedIn post sparks a discussion about how current education is misaligned with future needs.

[00:05:00] Building Future Entrepreneurs

• Stefan shares how AI-powered entrepreneurship camps can help kids generate revenue and creativity in weeks.

[00:12:00] Are AI Friends Real Friends?

• Exploring how AI companions are affecting school life, emotional wellbeing, and our concept of relationships.

[00:17:00] Kids Are Learning—Just Not in School

• OpenAI’s finals week data shows students using ChatGPT for deep learning—not cheating.

[00:25:00] From Tool to Teammate: Zapier’s Onboarding Shift

• How Zapier redesigned its onboarding to emphasize curiosity and AI-integrated workflows.

[00:33:00] OpenAI and the NYT Lawsuit: What Educators Should Know

• Key updates about data privacy, ChatGPT logs, and what’s excluded from court orders.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In this powerful and provocative episode, Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Stefan explore the urgent implications of AI on education, employment, and democracy. They dissect recent comments by Anthropic's CEO, reflect on generational shifts in perceptions of higher education, and challenge educators to embrace change, not resist it. This is a call to action for reimagining learning, relevance, and agency in an AI-driven world.

Timestamps

[00:01:00] The AI Wake-Up Call

• Discussion of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s prediction that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years and its implications for students and educators.

[00:06:00] Rethinking Entry-Level Work

• Stefan unpacks how companies are prioritizing AI fluency over traditional hiring, and why entry-level positions may be disappearing.

[00:14:00] College Regret and the ROI Crisis

• Sabba cites a Fortune article on how over half of Gen Z feel college was a waste of money and explores how this sentiment is reshaping higher education.

[00:26:00] Why Faculty Must Try, Not Defend

• A candid critique of higher ed’s resistance to AI innovation and a call for professors to collaborate with students in navigating an evolving academic and professional landscape.

[00:32:00] Sinek, Struggle, and Staying Human

• Insights from Simon Sinek on the importance of struggle in maintaining humanity and creativity amid AI’s rise.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Resources Mentioned

• CNN Interview with Dario Amodei
• Simon Sinek on Diary of a CEO Podcast
• Turning AI Tools into Teammates Mini-Course: Course Link

In this week’s special episode, Sabba and Stefan dive into the newly released AI literacy framework from the European Commission and OECD. Highlighting its student-centered vision, they explore how this document finally sets a compelling standard for empowering learners with durable skills, agency, and real-world decision-making tools for an AI-driven future.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Introducing the OECD AI Literacy Framework

• Sabba shares why this episode is different and introduces the newly released, game-changing AI literacy framework.

[00:03:00] Why Students Learn More from Screens than Schools

• Eye-opening statistics from the framework spark a conversation about reclaiming the educator's role in AI learning.

[00:08:00] Personas and Real-World Scenarios for AI Use

• The team explores how scenarios like Sophia’s story-writing journey with AI help model responsible use for students.

[00:18:00] RISE vs. Traffic Lights: Rethinking AI Decision Models

• Sabba and Stefan unveil the RISE framework as a more human-centered alternative to the often-used traffic light system.

[00:27:00] A Look at Desert Sands’ Leading AI Guidance

• Celebrating Desert Sands Unified School District's visionary leadership, the hosts showcase a real-world model of actionable and future-ready AI integration.

Explore More from Designing Schools

• 🤝 Partner with Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the AI Power Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and collaborate with forward-thinking educators building the future with AI.
• 📘 Get the Book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Designing Schools⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — a practical blueprint to transform your campus with creativity, leadership, and innovation.
• 🎓 Prepare Your Students for an AI Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Course – AI Skills for College and Career⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to equip your school community with future-ready skills.

For questions, email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Resources Mentioned

• OECD AI Literacy Framework — “Empowering Learners for the Age of AI”
• AI Skills for College and Career (Free Course): Access here
• Desert Sands AI Guidance