WEBVTT - Smart Talks with IBM: Education in the Age of AI 0:00:04.880 --> 0:00:13.039 Welcome to Tech Stuff, a production from iHeartRadio. Today, we 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:16.040 are witnessed to one of those rare moments in history, 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:19.639 the rise of an innovative technology with the potential to 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:24.520 radically transform business and society forever. That technology, of course, 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:28.560 is artificial intelligence, and it's the central focus for this 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:32.720 new season of Smart Talks with IBM. Join hosts from 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:36.479 your favorite Pushkin podcasts as they talk with industry experts 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:40.080 and leaders to explore how businesses can integrate AI into 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.440 their workflows and help drive real change in this new 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:47.239 era of AI, and of course, host Malcolm Gladwell will 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:49.560 be there to guide you through the season and throw 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.559 in his two cents as well. Look out for new 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.440 episodes of Smart Talks with IBM every other week on 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:59.720 the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:04.640 and learn more at IBM dot com slash smart Talks. 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:11.039 Hello, Hello, Welcome to Smart Talks with IBM, a podcast 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:17.080 from Pushkin Industries, iHeartRadio and IBM. I'm Malcolm Glawell. This season, 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:20.160 we're diving back into the world of artificial intelligence, but 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:26.360 with a focus on the powerful concept of open its possibilities, implications, 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.720 and misconceptions. We'll look at openness from a variety of 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:33.800 angles and explore how the concept is already reshaping industries, 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:38.039 ways of doing business, and our very notion of what's possible. 0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:42.080 On today's episode, doctor Lori Santos sat down with two 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:46.600 women at the forefront of AI in education. Justina Nixon 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:51.720 Santil is vice president and Chief Impact Officer of IBM 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:56.440 Corporate Social Responsibility, and April Dawson is an Associate Dean 0:01:56.480 --> 0:02:00.280 of Technology and Innovation and Professor of Law at North 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:05.160 Carolina Central University School of Law. Together, they explore the 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:10.040 transformative impact of AI on education and the workforce. As 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:15.000 technology rapidly evolves, industries are being reshaped and the demand 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.440 for new skills is at an all time high. This 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:23.120 is opening up opportunities for diverse talent, enabling individuals from 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:26.200 various backgrounds to excel in roles they might not have 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:31.200 previously considered. They also address the ethical considerations of AI, 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:37.280 emphasizing the importance of maintaining a human centered approach. Whether 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:39.880 you're a teacher or a student, or someone interested in the 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:43.040 future of work, it's essential to embrace the role of 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:47.360 AI in the education landscape. AI is not only changing 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.400 the way we work, but also how we learn, making 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:55.840 education more accessible, personalized, and aligned with the demands of 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:57.080 the modern job market. 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.200 Justina and Epel, so great to me both of you. 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:05.800 I'm so excited for this conversation. 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:07.639 Thank you for having. 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:09.360 Me, and thank you for having me. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.120 Justina, to start, could you share some insights on your 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.560 journey to becoming IBM's Chief Impact Officer and how your 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:20.079 background in engineering shapes your approach to corporate social responsibility. 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.200 So I've had an interest in journey. I'm an immigrant. 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:26.400 I was one of the only black women who graduated 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:30.519 from my school's mechanical engineering program many many years ago. 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:34.040 I started my engineering career at a nuclear facility that's 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.360 around forty five miles outside of Buffalo, New York, and 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:40.560 eventually worked for one of the largest telecommunications companies in 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:45.120 the world in engineering, marketing, and eventually in corporate social responsibility. 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:48.920 I was hired to lead the organization away from traditional 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:53.720 philanthropy to creating platforms and solutions that leveraged four G 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:58.960 and five G technologies to positively impact disadvantaged communities, and 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.280 that is what has led me to the work that 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.120 I do at IBM today, I have the honor of 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.240 being the company's first Chief Impact Officer, and is such 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:11.160 a privilege and a responsibility to be at IBM, which 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:16.360 has such a huge history in sustainability, in social and 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:19.800 in the ethical space as well. When I consider how 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:23.320 my background in engineering ties into the work that I do, 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:29.720 I actually think engineers are very skilled at analyzing data 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:33.880 and at innovative problem solving. The other thing where there's 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:37.400 a lot of alignment with my engineering background is really 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:41.039 around how do I think about using technology to solve 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:44.000 some of the biggest issues that we have in society? 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:48.039 And I get very excited about innovating and creating and 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:52.599 leveraging technologies like AI and hybrid cloud to really bring 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:54.920 those into the work that we do and to solve 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.919 some of those big challenges that we have in society 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:00.000 today around sustainability and EDGUC. 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:03.400 That's fabulous, April. Tell me about your path to becoming 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:06.000 Associate Dean of Technology and Innovation as well as a 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:06.840 professor in law. 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:12.480 So I am a child of an educator, actually educators. 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:15.559 Both my parents are educators. I went to high school 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.359 where my mom taught, and it was in the eighties 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:21.719 and it was during that time period when teachers were 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:24.880 given Apple computers, so they were brand new. My mom 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.919 brought one home. I started playing with it. Then I 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:30.720 just kind of fell in love with the technology. I 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:33.880 received my undergraduate degree in computer science because of that 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.960 early exposure. I went to Bennett College here in Greensboro, 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:43.120 North Carolina. It's an HBCU, a historically black college and university. 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:47.760 I was a programmer after graduating from Bennett, and I've 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:51.520 always loved technology, but I also had a love for 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.599 the law. So after being a programmer for a couple 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:57.200 of years, I decided to go to law school. And 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:01.599 even as a lawyer, I leveraged technology in my private practice. 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:05.359 When I decided to begin teaching almost twenty years ago, 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:09.000 I would ask myself, how could I leverage a technology 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:13.000 to enhance my teaching to help the students better understand 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:17.920 the material. And so when our dean at the time, 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:21.400 Brownie Lewis, when she was able to facilitate a five 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:25.080 million dollar grant to North Carolina Central University School of Law, 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:30.039 we created the Technology Law and Policy Center, and she 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:32.800 asked me if I would be interested in serving as 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:37.520 the inaugural Associate dean of technology and innovation. So suffice 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:39.719 it to say, I'm in my dream job. I'm able 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.200 to combine my love of technology, my love of law, 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:47.000 my love of education, and so it's really an exciting 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.520 time to be in a position like I have. 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:51.040 I love that. 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.880 April, what inspired you to integrate AI and technology into 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:55.359 your law curriculum? 0:06:55.960 --> 0:07:00.080 It's interesting. As I mentioned before, I've always used it 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:05.000 it personally as an educator, but the thought of teaching 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:08.839 a class that really kind of focused on technology and 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:13.920 the legal implications of that really occurred because Ray Thomas, 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:16.880 who was an IP lawyer and worked at IBM at 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:19.760 the time in twenty twenty so around the pandemic, he 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:23.440 encouraged us to take advantage of the IBM Skills Build 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:27.600 training program, the Train the Trainer program. So really not 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:31.120 until that time period did I even really even think 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:35.640 about teaching a tech focused legal class. And during that 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:38.000 time period, a couple of my other colleagues and I 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:41.800 we did the Train the Trainer Blockchain course. I did 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:45.360 the Data Science course, and then that next summer we 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:49.120 team taught the Blockchain for Lawyer's class, which we designed, 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:52.920 and then I taught a Data Science for Lawyers class, 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:56.040 and so that was, you know, really kind of the 0:07:56.040 --> 0:08:00.520 first iteration of us really being intentional about teaching techechnology 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:04.200 and law. And then one of my other colleagues, doctor 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:07.480 Savon Da Grady, she is a professor at the School 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:11.880 of Library and Information Sciences here at NCCU. She reached 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:13.880 out to me and said, would you be interesting in 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:17.560 teaching a joint AI and the law class that would 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:21.360 include her Masters of Information Science students and my law students. 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.960 So it's a wonderful interdisciplinary class where you have master's 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:29.680 students and law students and we talk about the foundations 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:33.640 of AI, we talk about the legal implications of policy implications, 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:36.720 and so really, you know, this kind of all started 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:41.800 because of the resources that IBM have made available to NCCU. 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:45.280 That's so cool, and that class sounds amazing. I wish 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.199 I could like drop out of being a professor and 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:50.199 then this class. This sounds awesome. And so as a 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.120 question for both of you, in this age of AI 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:55.559 and open technology, does the role of education change? Are 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:57.520 we kind of at a different spot with what education 0:08:57.559 --> 0:08:58.520 should be doing now? 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:02.560 When I look at at the role of education today 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:06.040 from the corporate point of view, I think it does change. 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:10.040 I was having a discussion earlier today with some members 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:15.000 of my team, and we were discussing early professional hires, 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:18.520 so people would want to hire right out of college, 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:21.440 and one of the first things that I shared was 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:24.959 some of the tasks that they would have done previously 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:28.880 will be automated. We will be using AI for those 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:32.480 basic tasks that in the past would have hired an 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:37.400 intern or a recent college graduate to do. And it's 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:42.200 so critical now that we look at higher level types 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:44.920 of tasks that we will need college graduates to do. 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:49.360 And I can foresee in the future hiring someone from 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.120 college who does not have at least a basic understanding 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.040 of AI. There will be some roles where they will 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.880 have to have an advanced understanding, especially if they're in 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:03.360 an engineering role or computer science role, but across the 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.760 board they will need to understand AI. So when I 0:10:06.800 --> 0:10:10.200 think about the way that education is changing, whether you're 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:14.120 a college student, whether you are an adult professional, you 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.160 will need to be a lifelong learner and you will 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:21.880 need to understand how to continuously upskill and reskill yourself 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:25.600 to be able to understand technologies like AI. Because of 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:29.040 the rapid acceleration of these types of technologies, and I 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.559 think that's very important. I think everyone has to be prepared, 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:35.760 if they're not doing it today, to upskill and reskill themselves. 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:39.600 And I can't foresee any roles in the future where 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:44.280 candidates will not need to have a very basic understanding 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.959 of AI or even advanced understanding of AI. 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.480 That's great, April. Let me ask you a slightly different 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:52.800 version of the question, what is the significance of AI 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:54.880 for students and young professionals today? 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:59.280 When we think about the disruption that JENAI especially has 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:03.960 caused within legal profession students have to be more adept 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:08.400 when it comes to feeling comfortable, being uncomfortable, and learning 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:11.120 something new. The other thing that I would just kind 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:15.480 of emphasize from an educational standpoint is this also means 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:19.719 that educators have to approach teaching differently. You know, I've 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:24.600 been teaching for going on twenty years and things are 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:28.080 kind of being turned on their heads somewhat right, and 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:33.240 I have had to upskill and reskill. We can't teach 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.840 that what we don't know, We can't monitor that what 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.640 we don't know. Just as the students have to understand 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:42.040 generative AI, the educators have to understand it as well. 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:44.960 Yeah, this is something I've felt in the classroom myself 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:48.600 as a psychology professor, right, is that I'm realizing how 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:50.840 much I need to kind of go back to school 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.440 and learn about all these AI tools, not just so 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:54.720 that I can teach it, but just so I can 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:57.640 understand how my students are using these things, right, but 0:11:57.679 --> 0:11:59.960 also to figure out how I can enhance the educa 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.760 cocational experience of my own students in psychology right by 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.360 giving them access to these tools. And so, yeah, I'm 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:08.440 curious in your experience, how does AI actually enhance the 0:12:08.640 --> 0:12:11.320 educational experience for your law students. And I'm curious if 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:13.120 you could give an example of the type of thing 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:14.280 you do in your classroom. 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:15.200 Yeah. 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:18.640 So one of the things that I tell my students 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:21.400 is you got to get your hands dirty. You can't 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.000 understand these tools if you don't kind of dig in 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:27.199 and just see how they work. So one, giving them 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:30.680 permission and encouraging them to do it in terms of 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:34.320 how they might be able to use these tools to 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:38.000 help them learn better. I encourage them to as they're 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:42.880 wrestling maybe with concepts that are confusing, they haven't completely 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.240 wrapped their heads around it. And when we think about 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:49.560 large language models, these tools are really helpful in that sense. Right, 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:52.600 if there's a passage in the book and you're not 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:55.960 quite following it, or there's a case right and you 0:12:56.080 --> 0:13:00.720 need some assistance in breaking it down, running that information 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.560 through a large language model and then asking questions about 0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:06.920 it can be really beneficial. Also in the law score 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:10.640 the legal contexts, large language models are really helpful for 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:13.280 that as well. But one thing I do caution my 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.040 students is that any understanding that you think you have 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:19.280 gained through the use of these tools, you need to 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:21.679 circle back to your professor and make sure that your 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:23.040 understanding is correct. 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:25.960 I love that and I've seen the importance of that 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:28.400 in my own classroom too. You mentioned so many of 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:30.360 the things that these tools are great at, but I 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:32.600 think another thing that AI in the classroom can help 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:36.760 us with is democratizing the classroom. And so, Justina, I'm curious, 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:39.600 in what ways do you think integrating AI into education 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:41.680 is help us going to bridge these gaps and actually 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:44.120 democratize access to education even more. 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.319 Yeah, I think it's going to really make a difference 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:51.280 in providing access to education in many different ways. I 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.880 want to give you an example through alla IBM Skills 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:59.040 Bill program, we're infusing AI technology into the platform to 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:03.920 create a more personally enhance experience for our learners in 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:08.080 every language. So we are creating personalized learning pathways, we 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:13.080 are tailoring the access to our learners to meet their 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:17.479 individual needs, and we're also using AI to answer questions 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:20.520 in a more timely and accurate manner. If you really 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:23.280 think about it, you will need a significant staff to 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:26.920 be able to respond quickly to questions to make sure 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:31.440 the questions are accurate. With AI, we can answer questions immediately, 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:34.640 we can answer them in a more sophisticated way than 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.280 we did in the past, and we can also offer 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:42.000 cost recommendations and learning pathways that meet their needs. We 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:45.840 have courses such as AI Ethics and prompt Writing and 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:49.480 getting started with Machine Learning all the way to actually 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:53.880 use in coding to help create these large language models. 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:56.680 So when you think about the average learner that we 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.840 are working with, they may want just an introductory course 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:04.600 on AI ethics or understanding how to use AI in 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.680 their day to day work, or they actually may want 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:11.160 to understand how do you really leverage or code for 0:15:11.240 --> 0:15:13.480 a large language model, and I think it's important to 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.880 give them all the different options and create those personalized 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.880 learning pathways for them. The other thing around really democratizing 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:25.240 opportunities to provide free access to this kind of learning, 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:27.960 and we do that again through our Skills Bill program. 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:33.760 If you have courses that you can only pay to access, 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.560 then you're really not giving the opportunity for everyone to 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:41.080 advance and to learn. So by leveraging AI on our 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:44.760 platform but also providing that free access, we're really helping 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:48.000 to bridge the gap for learners and make sure they 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:51.880 can upskill and reskill themselves and help them also increase 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:53.640 social and economic mobility. 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:57.400 It sounds like an amazing program, Justina. Can you describe 0:15:57.440 --> 0:16:00.400 the vision behind IBM Skills Build and how how it's 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:02.520 built to reach so many learners around the world. 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.520 Yeah. So, IBM has always been committed to investing in 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:11.640 the future of work and we've offered educational experiences for many, 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:16.560 many years. And IBM Skills Built is a program. Again, 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:19.920 it's free, it's open, anyone can access it. But it's 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:24.080 really around getting access to the right technical skills and 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:27.920 workplace learning skills so that you could be prepared for 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:33.000 a career in technology, but in any industry and any field. 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:38.600 We know now that understanding technology, understanding AI or cybersecurity 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.560 or any of those tech topics are needed whether you're 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:45.520 working in a tech company, or whether you're working in 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.040 retail or in legal or any of these different industries. 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:50.640 So we want to make sure we could provide that 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:54.080 access to learners. In twenty twenty one, we launch a 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:57.320 global commitment to skill thirty million people by twenty thirty 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:01.680 and we are making significant progress against that goal. Just 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.840 last year we reported that we skilled eleven point five 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:08.480 million learners around the world, and these are learners that 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:13.600 enrolled in IBM courses, including access in our platform, IBM 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:17.800 Skills Build, and it's really the cornerstone of our education 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:21.960 work at IBM. We're really focus on scaling our work 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:27.280 through partnerships. So we partner with historically black colleges and universities, 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:29.679 and that's how, of course, we got the chance to 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:34.160 meet April. We partner with nonprofit organizations across the globe. 0:17:34.320 --> 0:17:37.640 We also partner with governments to make sure we provide 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:40.960 that free access to the communities that are aligned with 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.600 their national agenda around skilling, and those communities that are 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:48.639 most in need. It's really important that we scale the 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:53.520 program through those premier partnerships, so that's extremely important to us. 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:58.720 The vision behind IBM Skills Build is truly inspiring. In 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.760 a world where technology is changing every industry, having access 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:06.439 to these crucial skills is more important than ever. This 0:18:06.560 --> 0:18:10.280 initiative is breaking down barriers and ensuring that people from 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.920 all walks of life can participate in the future of work. 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:19.000 In order to effectively scale a platform, the strategic collaborations 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:24.440 with educational institutions, nonprofits and governments are key. It's clear 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:28.800 that IBM is deeply invested in creating long lasting change 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:33.000 in communities around the world. This approach will strengthen the 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:37.320 workforce globally, helping to bridge the digital divide and create 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:40.199 more equitable opportunities in the tech space. 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:43.600 So now we're shifting gears to think a little bit 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:46.480 about the real world insights. Justina, what can you tell 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:49.159 us about the skills first movement? This seems to be 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:52.000 an open approach to attracting top talent. What are you 0:18:52.040 --> 0:18:53.720 hearing from students and partners. 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.160 Yeah, so IBM has been leading the skills first movement 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:01.399 full quite some time. And the things that we realized 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:04.560 and we actually tested this out, is that you don't 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:08.239 always need a four year degree to be successful at 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:11.520 a tech job. So when we looked at the job 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:15.000 postings that we had, we decided to make a commitment 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:19.280 to have at least fifty percent of our job postings 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:23.680 not requiring a four year degree. And when we started 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:27.120 hiring people without a four year degree in certain roles, 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:31.720 we realized that they were as successful as those with 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.320 a four year degree. Now, this doesn't work across the board, 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.560 but this is really a way to get access to 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:41.600 what I consider to be untapped talent that are skilled 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:45.439 in different ways. Maybe they've had some experiences already, maybe 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:48.720 they have a different set of badges and certificates or 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:52.399 other credentials that can support them getting access to some 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:55.639 of the roles that are offered by companies. So this 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:59.520 is really a way to help address the opportunity gap 0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:02.639 and provide a pathway for diverse talent. 0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:06.199 What impact do you think AI has had on global 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:08.200 learning standards broadly so far? 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.119 I think from the perspective of a law student, realizing 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:14.879 that this little universe in which we kind of thought 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:18.639 we might operate has expanded. When we think about AI 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.560 and we think about the implications of AI, it goes 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:24.960 far beyond our state national I mean, you have to 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:28.800 have an understanding of what's going on in other countries. 0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:31.840 So even when we're thinking about the regulation of AI 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:35.879 and the governance of AI and policies surrounding AI, it 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:39.200 means you have to be open to learning about what's 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:43.240 happening in other countries where AI is disrupting those spaces 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:46.960 as well. So again, I think it really underscores for 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.719 our law students how you have to see yourself as 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:54.159 part of a larger team. Lawyers don't work in isolation, 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:58.520 and it's really good that law students are recognizing that 0:20:58.680 --> 0:20:59.919 while they're still in school. 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:03.320 So it really seems like these technologies are kind of 0:21:03.440 --> 0:21:06.399 changing the learning experience and law by making kind of 0:21:06.400 --> 0:21:09.239 broader and maybe more global. Justina, can you share an 0:21:09.240 --> 0:21:11.920 example of how IBM Skills Build has made a significant 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:14.240 difference in other kinds of learning journeys? 0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:14.600 Yeah? 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:16.880 Absolutely, I mean this is one of the most rewarding 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:19.720 parts of my job. What I get excited about is 0:21:19.760 --> 0:21:22.960 when I travel and I meet with students who have 0:21:23.040 --> 0:21:25.359 been a part of IBM Skills Build and they have 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:30.160 been able to use the learning, the certificates, the opportunities 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:33.560 that we've provided them around mentorship as well to be 0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:36.199 able to move into a better paying job or a 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:40.040 new job that they did not have the opportunity previously. 0:21:40.440 --> 0:21:43.040 We had one of our learners. His name was Oscar 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.720 and he arrived in California from Mexico when he was 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:49.520 around five years old and he worked and he attended 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:53.560 college full time. But during his last semester he was 0:21:53.640 --> 0:21:56.680 introduced to the IBM Skills Build program through the Hispanic 0:21:56.800 --> 0:22:01.199 Heritage Foundation, one of our partners, and through the career 0:22:01.240 --> 0:22:04.520 assessment tool of the program, he identified areas where he 0:22:04.560 --> 0:22:08.160 could excel and it allowed him to dig deeper into 0:22:08.280 --> 0:22:11.720 learning paths that match his interests and his skills. So 0:22:11.800 --> 0:22:16.399 he started taking cosses such as AI Fundamentals, he earned credentials, 0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:19.840 and he was able to get a better role when 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:23.720 he graduated from college. So we have so many beneficiaries 0:22:23.720 --> 0:22:26.719 of the program who have been able to access the training, 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:30.480 also access the mentorship that we provide through the program, 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:33.600 and able to get a better pain on new job 0:22:33.640 --> 0:22:34.240 because of it. 0:22:35.040 --> 0:22:38.200 That's fabulous, April. I know your students have used IBM 0:22:38.280 --> 0:22:40.560 skills Build. Can you give us an example of how 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:42.840 it's made an important impact on a student's journey. 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:47.560 Yes, absolutely. So. I mentioned that we taught a Blockchain 0:22:47.640 --> 0:22:51.959 for Lawyers class and one of the students had a 0:22:51.960 --> 0:22:56.760 big interest in blockchain cryptocurrency. He actually also had a 0:22:56.880 --> 0:22:59.920 master's in information science and so he was a dual 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:03.159 agree student. He was also in my AI and the 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:06.480 law class. So he not only got the blockchain certificate, 0:23:06.960 --> 0:23:10.520 he got the AI Foundation certificate. He wound up being 0:23:10.520 --> 0:23:13.360 the editor in chief of the Law journal, and he 0:23:13.440 --> 0:23:16.200 is a legal tech lawyer. And so this kind of 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:19.119 goes back to what Justina was saying about making sure 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:23.160 that the talent that's there has access to the resources. 0:23:23.240 --> 0:23:25.360 It really does make a big difference in so many 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:26.480 of our students' lives. 0:23:27.480 --> 0:23:30.840 That's such an inspiring story, Justina. I'm curious what impact 0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:33.160 skills Build has had on the communities you work with, 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:34.760 maybe even beyond just students. 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:40.560 Yeah, so it has had a tremendous impact in our communities. 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:44.240 I think one of the big things about digital skills 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:49.200