AI in Education: Will Students Build the Future or Just Consume It?

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONYoung people can use AI to build businesses, solve hard problems, and create things previous generations could not imagine. They can also spend the next decade consuming algorithmic sludge. That choice may decide whether the United States keeps its technological lead.This conversation is for educators, parents, students, and workforce leaders who know AI will change work but are tired of predictions that stop at fear. Purdue computer science student Nishad Patel joins Jason with a perspective shaped by growing up in Abu Dhabi and studying in Indiana.The problem is visible: too many students experience technology primarily as entertainment while other countries treat it as a building tool. Nishad and Jason examine jobs, trust, robotics, quantum computing, and the different signals young people receive in the United States and the UAE.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNWhy knowledge work may change before skilled physical work. Why trust slows adoption. How the UAE connects education, infrastructure, and national ambition. What schools can do now to help students create with AI.THE TAKEAWAYThe countries and schools that teach young people to build with AI will have more influence over what comes next.YOUR NEXT MOVEAsk one student what they have built with AI in the last month. If the answer is nothing, help them choose one real problem worth solving and begin there.ABOUT THE GUESTNishad Patel is a Purdue University computer science student from Abu Dhabi and a 2026 information technology intern at Cummins. Through TechPoint's Xtern program, he has worked alongside Indiana's emerging technology community while exploring AI, software engineering, automation, and the future of technical work.GUEST LINKSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishad-patel/Cummins: https://www.cummins.com/TIME STAMPS00:00 - From Abu Dhabi to Purdue computer science01:17 - Meeting through TechPoint's Xtern Community Connect02:15 - Which jobs AI will change first10:41 - Robots, elder care, and the human comfort barrier16:10 - China's robotics lead and shared machine intelligence28:00 - Quantum computing and Indiana's Hard Tech Corridor32:36 - Are students building with technology or consuming it?36:19 - What the UAE is teaching Nishad about technology policy50:09 - Data centers, public benefit, and practical negotiation01:00:27 - Engineers, lawyers, and how nations set priorities01:09:08 - Education as the foundation of American competitivenessCONNECT WITH JASON PADGETTJason PadgettAI Solutions Architect | Co-Founder, Wooden Boy Industries | Host, AGI PodcastInspiring the conversations, thinking through how to talk with families about AI as shared ground, identifying practical first moves, and naming what is worth doing first, sized to the staff and time you have.🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-grant-padgett/Wooden Boy IndustriesBring your biggest challenge. We will talk about where your school is heading and how to help students get ready for what comes next.🌐 https://woodenboyindustriesai.com/SpritePractical AI capability for solopreneurs who want to learn the tools and use them well themselves.🌐 https://woodenboyindustriesai.com/sprite/The AGI Podcast NetworkAdvance, Grow, and Innovate with AI.🌐 https://schoolsout.agipodcast.ai/Chakra AI SolutionsChief Solutions Architect🌐 https://chakrasolutions.ai/💬 [email protected] MENTIONEDTechPoint Xtern: https://techpoint.org/xtern-students/TechPoint Community Connect, July 2026: https://techpoint.org/sold-out-community-connect-ai-talent-innovation/Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence: https://mbzuai.ac.ae/Masdar City: https://masdarcity.ae/Stargate UAE, May 2025: https://openai.com/index/introducing-stargate-uae/