Artificial intelligence is reshaping how companies hire, and the career advice many teens and young adults are getting hasn’t caught up. In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Scott Kosch, an AI business transformation entrepreneur, angel investor, father of two and author of A Student’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of AI.
After 25 years watching how employers decide who to hire, and many conversations with CEOs and investors leading AI change, Scott noticed something: even the people driving the technology didn’t know what to tell their own kids. That led him to write a practical, research-based guide for high school and college students.
Scott explains why AI is here to stay, how using AI to do the work of learning can undermine a student’s education, and why young people will need to take more ownership of their learning. He also shares fresh ways to think about high school, choosing a college, picking a major and planning a career in an AI-driven world. It’s a helpful conversation for parents of tweens, teens and young adults who want to guide their kids with facts instead of fear.
Takeaways:
- AI is here to stay; students must contend with it proactively rather than burying their heads, prioritizing responsible device usage and disciplined study habits to preserve genuine learning.
- Caution that using AI to do your homework corrupts the learning process, undermining independence, discipline, and the development of real-world problem-solving skills employers value.
- Advise students to take agency over their education: reassess majors, college choices, and career pathways through an AI-aware lens instead of following outdated parental roadmaps.
- Many adults genuinely lack answers about AI; foster open communication with your teens so decision-making feels collaborative rather than paternalistic.
- Emphasize balancing technological fluency with protections for mental, emotional, and physical health — set social media and device boundaries to maintain wellbeing.
- Cultivating process-oriented learning, critical thinking, ethical judgment around consent & relationships, and resilience against bullying amplified by online platforms.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Where Parents Talk
- ChatGPT
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