Guest: Nick Cawthon
Host: Mark Fidelman

Episode Summary

As kids head back to school and businesses push forward with digital transformation, one theme keeps surfacing: is using AI “cheating”? In this episode, Mark and Nick dive into how teachers, students, and professionals can move past the stigma of AI and instead embrace it as a partner in creativity and productivity. From calculators once banned in classrooms to AI now frowned upon by professors, history is repeating itself. But will the future workplace punish—or reward—those who leverage generative tools?

Nick brings deep experience leading UX and design teams where human-centered practices often clash with algorithm-driven efficiencies. Together, they explore how to build a culture of amnesty, upskilling, and authenticity in both education and the enterprise.

What You’ll Learn

• Why AI in classrooms is today’s calculator controversy—same fears, different tools.

• How to create “AI amnesty” in schools and workplaces so learning and experimentation thrive.

• Why human-centered design must evolve in an age where algorithms shape interactions.

• Whether generative AI kills creativity—or actually unlocks higher levels of it.

• How CMOs and leaders can overcome cultural, data, and training barriers to AI adoption.

• What tomorrow’s workforce looks like if kids embrace AI as a partner versus fearing it as a threat.

Key Quotes

• “There’s no such thing as writer’s block anymore—AI isn’t killing creativity, it’s changing what it looks like.” – Nick

• “It’s not AI that will take your job—it’s the person who knows how to use it.” – Nick

Links & Resources

• Take Nick’s UX/Design AI Readiness Survey → retrain.gage.io

• 📖 Grab Mark’s new book Agentized  → Agentized.ai

Listen & Subscribe

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