Simon SinekThe AI Skills Nobody is Teaching (And Everyone Needs) | AI Expert Ethan Mollick
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- June 16, 2026
- Duration
- 58m
- Channel
- Simon Sinek
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Be honest: AI makes you a little nervous. Maybe you're afraid it'll take your job. Maybe you're overwhelmed by all the advice about prompts and agents and which chatbot to use. Or maybe you're just quietly hoping it'll all slow down. Ethan Mollick says we're underestimating our own agency in the age of AI. Instead of worrying about what AI will do to us, we should focus on what we choose to do with it. Ethan is a Wharton professor, the author of the bestseller _Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI,_ and the writer behind “One Useful Thing,” one of the most popular newsletters on AI, work, and education. He's spent twenty years studying how people actually use technology, and he's become the go-to voice for making sense of AI without the hype or the doom. And in his new book, _Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI,_ he explores what comes next as AI moves from a tool we prompt to a presence we live and work alongside. In this conversation, Ethan shares the practical playbook most of us are missing and makes the case that our experience, taste, and point of view aren't things AI replaces. They're exactly what make us better at using it. In this episode you'll learn: ➡️ Why young people are NOT "AI natives" (and why experience is the real AI advantage) ➡️ The $20 decision that instantly upgrades how you use AI ➡️ Why AI agrees with everything you say + the simple prompt that fixes it ➡️ How to make AI write in YOUR voice instead of sounding like everyone else ➡️ The "jagged frontier": what AI is surprisingly bad at (and why that's your opportunity) ➡️ Why taste may become the most valuable skill of the AI era ➡️ How much agency we really have over where AI takes us Ethan believes that the future of AI isn't something that will just happen to us… It's something we get to build together. This… is _A Bit of Optimism._ + + + To pre-order Ethan’s new book, _Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI,_ head to: https://co-existence.ai/ Want to hear more from Ethan? Check out his Substack “One Useful Thing”: https://www.oneusefulthing.org/ + + + Chapters 00:00:00 The Human Competitive Edge in an AI World 00:02:05 Why Ethan Became the Go-To Practical AI Expert 00:03:30 The Internet Showed Up: Why AI Feels Familiar 00:05:54 Feeling Overwhelmed by AI Advice? You're Not Alone 00:08:52 The Pendulum Swings: Blue Collar vs White Collar and AI 00:12:14 Getting Practical: How to Actually Use AI Better 00:20:40 The Voice Problem: Why AI Writing All Sounds the Same 00:25:48 The Apprenticeship Model Just Broke 00:29:43 Art, Intention, and the Joy of Human Creation 00:33:57 The Death of Movie Stars and the Rise of Taste 00:37:49 Models, Apps, and Harnesses: Understanding AI's Three Layers 00:38:43 Privacy, Security, and Trusting AI With Your Data 00:41:47 The Education Crisis: Teaching When AI Does the Work 00:43:35 Your Brain on Technology: From Phone Numbers to Critical Thinking 00:50:09 The Conversation Trick: Using AI to Actually Learn 00:52:58 What Keeps Ethan Up at Night About AI 00:54:57 Your Agency in the AI Revolution + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including _Start With Why,_ _Leaders Eat Last,_ _Together is Better,_ and _The Infinite Game._ + + + Website:http://simonsinek.com/ Leaderful: https://simonsinek.com/leaderful Podcast:http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram:https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin:https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek + + + #SimonSinek
SPEAKERS
Simon Sinek
hostAuthor and leadership speaker; host of the podcast “A Bit of Optimism.”
Ethan Mollick
guestWharton professor and AI/education expert; author of “Co-Intelligence.”
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Simon Sinek, featuring Simon Sinek and Ethan Mollick, The AI Skills Nobody is Teaching (And Everyone Needs) | AI Expert Ethan Mollick explores practical AI skills: taste, evaluation, learning, and human agency matters Mollick argues AI is a general-purpose technology whose impact depends on human choices, not doomer or utopian narratives.
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