Reed Hastings, the co-founder and former CEO of Netflix, joined us to share advice for middle and high school students navigating a rapidly changing world influenced by AI. Reed encouraged students to move beyond traditional academic achievements to use AI to build, design, and solve real-world problems. He highlighted how engaging with AI in meaningful ways—whether for developing business plans, designing spaces, or even crafting recipes—builds the adaptable skills necessary for future success.
Julie Lammers
Today, we’re welcoming entrepreneur and education innovator Reed Hastings. Reed is the co-founder and longtime CEO of Netflix, the company that transformed how the world watches television and movies. He’s also been a major force in expanding access to education and supporting innovative schools and learning organizations all over the world. Michael had the chance to sit down with Reed recently and get his advice for teens as they explore their careers.
Michael Horn
What advice, given all the change in the world right now around AI, how it could change the world, et cetera, what advice would you give middle and high school students right now as they’re coming up through the system and thinking about the choices that they’ll have and the choices that they get to make right now?
Reed Hastings
I think they’re pretty aware of what’s going on. But I would certainly add to the fact that doing well in the classic biology class in 9th grade is of modest use and continuing to use AI to build things and like design a house or a sewer system or, or a tree garden, you know, or a business. And sort of the more they can be involved back and forth with AI for developing their brain as opposed to, you know, what some teachers call “CheatGPT,” which is, you know, when you’re in the classic high school, it’s very tempting to just use AI to write the essay because it’s just too easy and too boring and you’re going to take the easiest route. So then it’s, you know, the challenge is using AI to do interesting things in the world. Like what’s a recipe that combines, you know, now I’ve got eggs and cardamom. And like, what would be an interesting way to combine eggs and cardamom to make something that’s tasty? So, you know, it’s sort of setting yourself challenges doing things with AI both in the virtual world, like creating a business plan or in the real world, like creating some breakfast. Because those skills of probing and learning and using AI, you know, to make a cool TikTok, it’s whatever they’re passionate about, I think will be, it’s the best way to prepare themselves for the future world.
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