#152: Reprogramming the Future of Learning

Hello,
Welcome to the 152nd edition of EducationNext! This week, we explore the accelerating role of artificial intelligence in reshaping how we work, create, and innovate.

From Bill Gates’ vision of AI-driven productivity to Shopify’s bold mandate and breakthroughs in coding, these stories reveal a future where adaptation is key. Let’s dive in.

Bill Gates on AI’s Competitive Edge

Bill Gates sees software, particularly AI, as “more important today than ever.” In a recent interview, he described a “very hyper-competitive” tech landscape where giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon no longer stick to distinct domains.

“As you get into AI, you’re all kind of in the same ‘hey we’ll help you do your job’ type thing,” Gates said.

This convergence, fueled by high capital costs, drives a “very, very fast” pace of innovation that he believes “will be beneficial to users.”

Gates remains deeply involved with Microsoft, brainstorming with product teams on AI applications—from software development to drug discovery—to keep the company “in the echelon.” Reflecting on Microsoft’s 50-year journey, he noted its evolution from “crazy ideas” in 1975 to leading the AI era under Satya Nadella.

AI’s “massive productivity gains,” Gates warned, present a “challenge of success” for society to navigate.

Shopify’s AI Mandate: No Opting Out

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke has made AI non-negotiable. In a leaked 1,300-word memo, obtained by an unnamed publication, Lütke called AI a “baseline expectation” for employees, framing it as a “Red Queen race” where stagnation means “slow-motion failure.”

“I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft,” he wrote.

The memo outlined bold moves: AI proficiency is now part of performance reviews, teams must justify new hires by proving AI can’t solve the problem, and employees are encouraged to share AI experiments in Slack channels like #revenue-ai-use-cases.

Lütke sees AI as a “10X or 100X” multiplier, enabling “implausible tasks” and turning top performers into superstars. Shopify’s future, he insists, depends on embracing AI fully.

Tobi Lütke’s Origin: A Computer at Six

Tobi Lütke’s path to founding Shopify began in a small German town in the 1980s.

At six, his parents gave him an Amstrad, a simple computer that sparked a lifelong passion. “I knew there was nothing else that would be more interesting,” he recalled.

Typing a letter and seeing it flicker on-screen felt like magic compared to typewriters.

By 12, Lütke was set: “There’s no chance I’m doing anything other than programming all day.” He taught himself by decoding magazine code listings, crafting pranks and tools. School—hours of Latin—offered no agency, but the computer was his frontier. “Entrepreneurs need frontiers,” he said. His hatred of “black boxes”—things he couldn’t understand—drove him to tinker and create, laying the foundation for Shopify, which now powers over 600,000 businesses.

AI’s Impact on Creative Jobs

In a recent discussion, OpenAI’s Sam Altman addressed AI’s effect on creative fields like UI design. He predicted an “uneven evolution” where some jobs disappear, but most will transform.

“The expectations of how good a website looks just go up a lot, and we all get better stuff,” he said.

Human oversight remains crucial for accountability, ensuring AI amplifies productivity rather than replacing it.

Altman highlighted emerging roles like prompt engineering, once dismissed as a “hobby job” but now vital. “Just because something is not a historically valuable job doesn’t mean it won’t be,” he urged.

He also celebrated AI’s democratization of creativity: “Anybody on Earth can get a smartphone and record themselves,” a far cry from the camcorder days.

Lower barriers, he believes, let more people contribute, creating a “big net win for society.”

“The future programming language isn’t Python or JavaScript,” It’s English.”

Meanwhile, Vaibhav S., founder of Growth School, showcased AI’s coding dominance. Tools like Cursor and Bolt outpace human coders, with startups hitting 90% AI-written code.

OpenAI’s unreleased O3 model could rank among the top 200 in global coding contests, hinting at a future where AI “engineers” work tirelessly.

At Growth School, 65% of code is AI-generated, and tools like lovable.dev let non-coders build MVPs in hours.

“The future programming language isn’t Python or JavaScript—it’s English,” Vaibhav said.

As AI scales, one coder could match 20, raising questions about the future of traditional coding teams.

At Google Cloud NEXT 2025, Google unveiled the Agent Development Kit (ADK), an open-source framework for building autonomous AI agents.

Used in Google’s own products like Agentspace, ADK simplifies creating flexible, production-ready AI systems. Meanwhile, Vaibhav S., founder of Growth School, showcased AI’s coding dominance.

Tools like Cursor and Bolt outpace human coders, with startups hitting 90% AI-written code.

88 thought Leaders - weekly feature

Until next Sunday,
Priyanka

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