Ethan Mollick

AI and the Future of Learning with Ethan Mollick Jeremy Singer sits down with Ethan Mollick, professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and author of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI , a New York Times bestseller and a best book of the year from The Economist and Financial Times. Mollick is a defining voice in the AI space, testing generative tools in real-world classrooms and authoring the widely read newsletter One Useful Thing . He is the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Rowan Fellow, and Associate Professor at the Wharton School, where he directs the Generative AI Lab and studies the effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship, and education. He was named one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence. Despite the rapid pace of development, Mollick argues that the AI we use today is the worst it will ever be, necessitating a proactive shift from denial to engagement. In this episode, he explains why the "homework apocalypse" is already here and how the traditional writing assignment has been fundamentally disrupted. The discussion moves beyond simple prompt engineering to explore the "jagged frontier" of AI capability, where the technology excels at complex tasks while occasionally stumbling on simple ones. Mollick and Singer break down the varying impacts of AI on human performance, describing it as a leveler for those with skill gaps and a "king-maker" for experts who can leverage the tool to achieve massive productivity gains. The conversation also tackles the existential questions of human agency and the future of assessment. Mollick advocates for a "flipped classroom" model where AI serves as an infinitely patient universal tutor outside of school, leaving class time for active learning, debates, and creative projects. He and Singer discuss testing in the age of AI and how educators can teach students to develop "durable skills" like taste, judgment, and a unique personal style . By viewing AI as a teammate rather than just a tool, Mollick suggests that teachers can reclaim hours of their week and focus on the deeply human aspects of education. Featured References: Book: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick Newsletter: One Useful Thing by Ethan Mollick Book: The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (The "Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer") Research: Wharton AI Labs on student performance and AI interaction Data: Walton Family Foundation survey on teacher AI usage and time-savings Case Studies: AI-driven educational outcomes and tutor studies in Taiwan and outsourcing academic writing to Kenya Episode Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction to Ethan Mollick and the pace of AI evolution 02:26 — The "homework apocalypse" and the shift in educational thinking 04:45 — Why today’s AI is the worst version we will ever use 09:15 — Lessons from the 1970s calculator debate for modern curricula 13:55 — AI literacy vs. a fundamental reshaping of human interaction 17:30 — Developing taste and agency as essential "durable skills" 19:00 — The Leveler, Elevator, and King-maker effects on human

What if the real barrier to AI success in your organization is not the technology — it is how you lead it? In this Insight On episode, host Rob Green sits down with Ethan Mollick, author of Co-Intelligence, to examine the hard truths about AI adoption in the enterprise. They unpack why individual productivity gains can be significant while organizational results lag — and what leaders can do differently today. You will hear Ethan's take on the jagged frontier of AI capabilities, why co-intelligence beats replacement, and how cyborg and centaur models of work are already changing how teams operate . The conversation gets into security, ROI, and the organizational structures that either support or limit real outcomes. If you are making technology decisions that affect people, budgets, and outcomes, this is a conversation you cannot afford to sit out. Jump right to… 00:00: Welcome and why this episode matters 01:35: Meet Ethan Mollick and co-intelligence 03:18: How AI fills skill gaps and boosts output 04:40: The jagged frontier and edge experimentation 06:01: The ROI debate and what leaders miss 07:28: How AI quietly changes how work gets done 12:30: Security, privacy, and real risk shifts 18:10: Shadow AI, policy debt, and constraints 24:45: From pilots to transformation at scale 30:20: Why you need leadership, crowd, and lab 38:00: Closing thoughts and what to do now

Will AI Replace Me? The Co-Intelligence Book Has a More Honest Answer | How to Work with AI A colleague used AI to draft a full training proposal last week. Three days of work. Forty minutes. It was good. The thought that followed wasn’t amazement. It was: “will AI replace me?” If you’ve felt that — the excitement and the dread in the same breath — this episode is for you. We break down Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor whose answer to that question is sharper than reassurance: AI won’t replace you. But it will replace professionals who never learn how to work with it. Mollick calls the result of genuine human-AI collaboration “co-intelligence” — something neither of you can produce alone. You bring judgment, context, and values. AI brings speed, memory, and scale. Together, the output is different in kind. Getting there requires four rules: always invite AI to the table; be the human in the loop; give AI a clear role, context, and constraint; and assume today’s tools are the worst you’ll ever use — which means starting now is exactly right. He also gives you two models for how to work with AI day to day: the centaur (clean division of labor) and the cyborg (fluid, woven collaboration). Choosing between them consciously is itself one of the new professional skills of this era. In this 18-minute episode: the co-intelligence framework, all four rules, both working models, and a one-week experiment you can run starting Monday. 📖 Book: Co-Intelligence — Ethan Mollick · 🎧 Host: Sophia · ⏱ 18 min

Welcome to episode 176 of the AI for Career Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This educational content is designed to give working professionals who leverage AI as a tool for efficiency and productivity a competitive edge. In this episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack an insightful article by Ethan Mollick, a professor at The Wharton School and well-respected AI thought leader, entitled "The Shape of AI: Jaggedness, Bottlenecks, and Salients" that was published on December 20, 2025 (link below). Mollick describes the Jagged Frontier of artificial intelligence, a concept where software exhibits superhuman capabilities in complex fields like math while simultaneously failing at basic tasks. These inconsistent performance gaps create bottlenecks that prevent full automation, often requiring human intervention to manage edge cases or navigate institutional hurdles. When researchers target a specific weakness (known as a reverse salient) and solve it, the technology can suddenly advance and unlock previously stagnant capabilities. This uneven growth means that, while AI can drastically accelerate productivity, it often acts as a complement to human expertise rather than a total replacement. Ultimately, Mollick suggests that tracking these specific barriers is the most effective way to predict the future trajectory of technological labor. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. I am currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt _________________________________ >> Read the Mollick article: https://tinyurl.com/52x6eubj >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

Welcome to episode 132 of the AI for Career Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This educational content is designed to give working professionals who leverage AI as a tool for efficiency and productivity a competitive edge. In this episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a November 11 article by Wharton professor and AI expert Ethan Mollick entitled "Giving your AI a Job Interview." This episode examines the limitations of standardized AI benchmarks, noting that these tests are often flawed, easily gamed, and fail to measure practical skills required for business or analytical tasks. Although individual users may rely on idiosyncratic, subjective tests to discern an AI's unique operational style, organizations must adopt a more systematic strategy for model selection. Mollick advocates for treating the process like a detailed job interview that employs expert assessors and rigorous, real-world tasks relevant to the company's needs. This focused testing is essential because different models possess a "Jagged Frontier" of varied abilities, performing distinctively across specific professional tasks, such as finance or software development. Furthermore, models display fundamental, consistent differences in their judgment and risk-taking attitudes, which organizations must understand before deploying an AI to advise thousands of critical decisions. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. I am currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt _________________________________ >> View the original Mollick article: https://tinyurl.com/z4w29ect >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group Technical Writing Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt

Welcome to episode 120 of the AI for Technical Writers podcast from Curt Robbins. This educational content is designed to give IT professionals and technical writers a competitive edge. In this episode, hosts Daphne and Fred review an October 19 article by Wharton associate professor and AI expert Ethan Mollick entitled "An Opinionated Guide to Using AI Right Now." Mollick, a well respected thought leader in the AI space, offers practical advice based on observed user behavior rather than guesswork. He begins by outlining the major free and advanced cutting-edge AI models, including OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), Anthropic (Claude), and offers suggestions for selecting a free model based on capabilities such as web search or image creation. This episode then addresses the paid tiers of advanced AI, suggesting that users pick one of the three leading systems and explains the differences between chat, agent, and wizard models available within those services. Finally, Daphne and Fred discuss quick tips for improving results, including advanced features such as Deep Research and connecting to personal data. They also address common issues such as hallucinations and sycophancy. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. I am currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt _________________________________ >> Read the original Mollick article: https://tinyurl.com/yzkd3vdk >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group Technical Writing Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt

Welcome to episode 098 of the AI for Technical Writers podcast from Curt Robbins. This educational content, designed to give you a competitive edge, is targeted at IT professionals and technical writers. Today's episode features a review of a recent article by Wharton Associate Professor and co-author of the book "Co-Intelligence" Ethan Mollick entitled "Mass Intelligence." The article asserts that the world is entering an era of mass Intelligence as powerful artificial intelligence (AI) becomes widely accessible to over a billion people. Mollick explains that previous barriers to advanced AI, such as high costs and confusing interfaces, are rapidly dissolving due to models like GPT-5 becoming dramatically more efficient, cheaper, and easier to use. While acknowledging initial deployment issues with systems designed to automatically select the best AI model for a task, the text highlights the resulting democratization of advanced AI capabilities, even for free users. This has significant implications for work, education, and societal institutions built on the premise of scarce intelligence. Ultimately, the text explores the opportunities and inherent chaos that arise when such powerful tools are placed in the hands of the general public. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. I am currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt _________________________________ >> Read the original Mollick article: https://tinyurl.com/ms6k3uys >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group Technical Writing Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt

In this episode of Scaling Laws, Alan and Kevin discuss the current state of AI growth, focusing on scaling laws, the future of AGI, and the challenges of AI integration into society with Ethan Mollick, Professor of Management at Wharton, specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. They explore the bottlenecks in AI adoption, particularly the role of interfaces and the uncertainty surrounding AI development. Mollick discusses the transformative potential of AI in various fields, particularly education and medicine, as well as the need for empirical research to understand AI's impact, the importance of adapting teaching methods, and the challenges of cognitive de-skilling. More of Ethan Mollick's work: https://www.oneusefulthing.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've curated a special 10-minute version of the podcast for those in a hurry. Here you can listen to the full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/ethan-mollick-ai-urgency-leadership-responsibility/id1614211565?i=1000712377483&l=nb Which companies will lead and which will be left behind as AI transforms the way we work? Nicolai Tangen connects with Ethan Mollick, Wharton professor and author of 'Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI,' to explore how organizations can harness AI's revolutionary potential. They discuss the growing adoption of AI tools across workforces, proven tactics for driving company-wide implementation, the rise of autonomous AI agents, and why traditional training approaches may be missing the mark. Ethan reveals insights from his research showing that AI works best as a collaborative teammate rather than a replacement. With AI capabilities advancing faster than expected, organizations face increasing urgency to act. In Good Company is hosted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. New full episodes every Wednesday, and don't miss our Highlight episodes every Friday. The production team for this episode includes Isabelle Karlsson and PLAN-B's Niklas Figenschau Johansen, Sebastian Langvik-Hansen and Pål Huuse. Background research was conducted by David Høysæter and Yohanna Akladious. Watch the episode on YouTube: Norges Bank Investment Management - YouTube Want to learn more about the fund? The fund | Norges Bank Investment Management (nbim.no) Follow Nicolai Tangen on LinkedIn: Nicolai Tangen | LinkedIn Follow NBIM on LinkedIn: Norges Bank Investment Management: Administrator for bedriftsside | LinkedIn Follow NBIM on Instagram: Explore Norges Bank Investment Management on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most companies are using AI to cut costs. Ethan Mollick argues that the biggest mistake companies make is thinking too small. In the first episode of Strange Loop, Wharton professor and leading AI researcher Ethan Mollick joins Sana founder and CEO Joel Hellermark for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about the rapidly changing world of AI at work. They explore how AI is not just an efficiency tool but a turning point—one that forces a choice between incremental optimization and transformational scale. The discussion covers the roots of machine intelligence, the relevance of AGI, and what it takes to build organizations designed from the ground up for an AI-native future. What’s in this episode Why most companies are underestimating what AI makes possible The tension between using AI for efficiency vs. scaling ambition How traditional org charts, built for a human-only workforce, are breaking The collapse of apprenticeship and its long-term implications- How prompting is becoming a foundational business skill Why “cheating” with AI may be the new form of learning The risks of using AI to optimize the past instead of inventing the future What it means to build truly AI-native teams and organizations — Transcript: https://sanalabs.com/strange-loop/ethan-mollick — About Strange Loop Strange Loop is a podcast about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the systems we live and work in. Each episode features deep, unscripted conversations with thinkers and builders reimagining intelligence, leadership, and the architectures of progress. The goal is not just to follow AI’s trajectory, but to question the assumptions guiding it. Subscribe for more conversations at the edge of AI and human knowledge. — Timestamps (00:20) Origins: AI in the early days at MIT (01:53) Defining and testing intelligence: Beyond the Turing test (06:35) Redesigning organizations for the AI era (08:56) Human augmentation or replacement (14:58) Navigating AI's jagged frontier (17:18) The 3 ingredients for successful AI adoption (23:31) Roles to hire for an AI-first world (33:41) Do orgs need a Chief AI officer? (39:45) The interface for AI and human collaboration (43:50) Rethinking the goals of enterprise AI (49:15) The case for abundance (52:30) Best and worse case scenarios (58:51) Avoiding the trap of enterprise AI KPIs — Where to find Ethan Newsletter: https://www.oneusefulthing.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emollick/ X: https://x.com/emollick — Where to find Joel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-hellermark/ X: https://x.com/joelhellermark

📝 Show notes (Free Book Summary) / PDF & Infographic / 🎧 Free audi obook / In Co-Intelligence, Ethan Mollick presents a transformative perspective on artificial intelligence, arguing that AI should be viewed as a collaborative partner rather than a threat to human jobs. Co-Intelligence: How AI and Humans Can Innovate Together by Ethan Mollick StoryShots Book Summary and Review Mollick emphasizes that AI tools can dramatically enhance productivity across various industries by handling repetitive tasks, generating initial drafts, and providing rapid insights. He illustrates this through examples like graphic designers using AI for brainstorming, programmers leveraging AI for initial code generation, and marketing teams using AI to draft campaign ideas. The book explores the critical importance of AI literacy and ethical considerations in the evolving technological landscape. Mollick advocates for developing skills that allow individuals to effectively work with AI systems, understanding their capabilities and limitations. He highlights the need for responsible AI development, which requires diverse teams, extensive testing, continuous monitoring, and a commitment to transparency and fairness. The goal is not to replace human workers but to augment their capabilities and free them to focus on more creative and strategic tasks. A central theme of the book is the irreplaceable nature of human creativity and emotional intelligence. While AI can generate ideas and process information rapidly, it lacks the depth of human intuition, cultural awareness, and emotional understanding. Mollick argues that the most successful approach involves humans and AI working together, with humans providing strategic direction, refining ideas, and bringing emotional nuance to complex problems. The book ultimately presents a hopeful vision of technological integration that respects human values and opens new possibilities for innovation and personal growth. TLDR: AI is a collaborative tool that enhances human capabilities, not a replacement for human workers, enabling people to focus on more creative and strategic tasks Developing AI literacy is crucial - learning to effectively communicate with and guide AI systems can dramatically improve productivity across industries like marketing, software development, and healthcare Ethical considerations are paramount in AI development, including addressing potential biases, ensuring privacy, maintaining transparency, and keeping human values at the center of technological innovation AI has transformative potential in education, offering personalized learning experiences that can adapt to individual student needs and provide customized guidance Successful organizations will integrate AI by creating cultures of continuous learning, investing in AI literacy training, and helping employees understand AI as an enhancement rather than a threat (00:00) Introduction to Co-Intelligence (01:32) About Ethan Mollick (02:48) Embrace AI as a Collaborative Partner (05:27) Reimagine Productivity Through AI-Powered Workflows (07:44) Develop AI Literacy and Adaptive Learning Skills (10:10) Ethical Considerations in the Age of Co-Intelligence (13:35) AI as an Educational and Learning Catalyst (16:38) Preparing Organizations for AI-Driven Transformation (19:44) The Human-AI Collaboration: Creativity and Emotional Intelligence (22:23) Final Summary and Review (24:37) Rating and Conclusion Related Books: <a href="https://www.getstoryshots.com/books/superinte

Welcome to episode 120 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from the Curt Robbins & Associates Technical Writing Agency. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode! Today’s episode explores an article from professor Ethan Mollick at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania entitled "15 Times to Use AI, and 5 Not To" that was published on December 9, 2024. Hosts Daphne and Fred share their spirited unpacking of this educational article from AI expert Mollick and what it teaches technical writers and documentation specialists about the pros and cons of using AI in their work. Writes Mollick: "Knowing when to use AI turns out to be a form of wisdom, not just technical knowledge. Like most wisdom, it's somewhat paradoxical: AI is often most useful where we're already expert enough to spot its mistakes, yet least helpful in the deep work that made us experts in the first place. It works best for tasks we could do ourselves but shouldn't waste time on, yet can actively harm our learning when we use it to skip necessary struggles. And perhaps most importantly, wisdom means knowing that these patterns will keep shifting as AI capabilities evolve, and as more research comes in, requiring us to keep questioning our assumptions about where it helps and where it hinders." The Curt Robbins & Associates Technical Writing Agency is currently taking on new clients. We enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact us to learn about our reasonable rates and fast turnaround. >> Read the original Mollick article: https://tinyurl.com/mvwrj6w8 >> Read the Curt Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7 >> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw >> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v >> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb >> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn