Days before his fireside chat appearance at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference on December 9, AT&T CEO John Stankey participated in the podcast "In Good Company".
Advice for the young people
John Stankey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at AT&T. | Image credit – AT&T
John Stankey, AT&T's CEO, explained that young people should be intentional about how they learn. He said the traditional idea of attending a university based on a curriculum shaped years in advance is becoming less effective, especially as technology and business models continue to change at a rapid pace:
You know, the notion that we can go to a university on a curriculum that's developed over five or six years and have relevant learning in a classroom environment is fading pretty quickly. When you think about the resources that are available to all of us [...] you have to think about your career in chapters that are four or five years.
According to him, each chapter should involve building a new role, a new skill set, or a fresh foundation. He emphasized that people will only be able to keep adapting if they take full responsibility for their own education. That means having daily habits and a structured approach to identifying learning opportunities and developing new competencies.
Every four or five years, you're going to have to build a new gig, a new foundation, a new set of skills, a new approach. The only way you're going to be able to do that over the course of a life that may be 80 or 90 years is if you are really good about being the dean of your own education.
Stankey noted that those who build these habits early will benefit from them throughout their careers. He pointed out that the amount of information available today is essentially limitless, and success will come to those who learn how to process it effectively. The rise of AI, he added, increases the pressure to master this skill because it accelerates information synthesis and provides constant opportunities to learn:
We have an unlimited amount of information available to us today. The winner is the person who figures out how to digest it. And AI is only up the stakes on that now because it's allowed us to not only synthesize more information quickly, but it's always available to us to learn from. And people who master that are going to probably be the ones who come out on top over time.
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Rising prices
Meanwhile, AT&T's price hikes have kicked off, starting December 1. AT&T is increasing the price of all its home internet plans. Customers will pay an additional $5 each month, regardless of which plan they use. The company described the increase as applying across the entire internet lineup.
Customers who joined within the past year will avoid this specific change, but the pattern suggests that future increases are likely. Recent reporting noted that AT&T has regularly raised monthly rates by $5 each year for some subscribers.
Do you believe in AI?
Personally – and at the moment – I don't have that much confidence in AI. Yeah, it's fun, and it could be really helpful for specific tasks. But AI is still prone to outrageous errors – I'm sure you've seen those reports about AI agreeing with you that 20 plus 1 equals 22, not 21. Also, experiments were made not that long ago which clearly showed that senior coders are slowed down by AI.
That being said, nobody knows how much more advanced AI will get and what it could do in the near future.
So, what do you think? Is John Stankey correct when he says traditional curriculums are fading away? Do you have trust in AI? Vote in our poll and also let me know in the comments below.
What are your views on AI?
AI is very useful, it's a revolution.
0%
AI can be fun, but it's a serious tool.
100%
I like my phone's AI capabilities.
0%
I distrust AI.
0%
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Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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