Hello friend.
I’ve been a LinkedIn native for three years and I’ve read thousands of posts on everything from education, technology to whether Arsenal will lift a Champions League trophy.
But this post stopped me in my tracks.
On Monday 7th April 2025, Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman shared this internal memo with his team.
AI was coming for all their jobs right now. Including his.
Fiverr, one of the largest digital freelance marketplaces in the world, is right at the coalface of digital work.
And what he said scared the chocolate fudge out of me.
I encourage you to read the letter in full, but here are some key quotes:
• ‘It does not matter if you are a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person – AI is coming for you.’
• ‘I am not trying to scare you. I am not talking about your job at Fiverr. I am talking about your ability to stay in your profession in the industry.’
• ‘Are we all doomed? Not all of us, but those who will not wake up and understand the new reality fast, are, unfortunately, doomed.’
• Time is the most valuable asset we have — if you’re working like it’s 2024, you’re doing it wrong! You are expected and needed to do more, faster, and more efficiently now.
Friend, I’ve heard many strong opinions about AI in education—some I initially agreed with, but changed my mind as I jumped down the ‘AI rabbit hole.’
Eventually, I reached a point where I felt like the only reason these beliefs had become mainstream and commonly accepted was that “a lot of other people” agreed with them, too.
I started this newsletter to help educators like you feel confident guiding students through the twists and turns of the Information Age.
It’s no secret that I believe the education system is unprepared to equip our students with the 21st century skills. But it can be if we are adventurous enough.
Here are three urgent issues that I believe educators need to pay close attention to:
#1 Students should learn how to use AI tools—just like they learn how to write essays or solve equations.
I’m not saying every student needs to get a PhD in machine learning.
But what I am saying is that students need to learn how to use the machines.
But AI is becoming a tool as essential as a calculator—or even the internet itself. If we want the next generation to be creative, critical thinkers, we need to stop banning AI in classrooms and start teaching them how to use it responsibly and effectively.
When the digital calculator was invented in the 1970s, nobody said, “Students will never have to take a maths exam again—HOORAY!!!”
We learned to integrate it into our classrooms – and we need to do the same with AI.
We need to teach our children how to:
• Ask the AI tools like ChatGPT better questions
• Use these tools to supercharge their work rather than make themselves redundant
• Get better at adding the ‘human touch’ to AI output to make new creations and products without being soulless.
Otherwise, we risk raising a generation unprepared for the world they’ll actually work in.
#2 Communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution should be actual subjects in school.
A while back, I was at a party and struck up a conversation with a financial director of a multinational company.
When he found out I was a teacher, he jokingly lambasted me about the quality of the students' education produced.
While swilling his fruit punch, he called our young people ‘absolutely useless.’
When I pressed him on this point, he stated that they:
• Couldn’t take criticism
• Didn’t know how to communicate professionally in the workplace
• Would ‘ghost’ their job if they didn’t get their way, i.e getting promoted after 3 days on the job
While I don’t 100% agree with all his points (that’s a newsletter in itself), I do feel that we are putting our young people in environments that they are ill-prepared for and that are changing so fast no one can keep up.
This is why ‘soft skills’ matter—but we rarely treat them like they do.
Instead, we expect students to somehow “pick them up” along the way. That’s not working.
In our AI-dominated future, the students will need to:
• Build and inspire teams in challenging environments
• Navigate tough conversations using compassion and assertiveness
• Be able to gauge the ‘emotional health’ of the team and apply psychological first aid when needed
The youngsters who can do this will be worth their weight in gold.
These skills aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re survival skills for the modern world. If AI is going to be doing all the heavy lifting, we’ve got to get the human skills down pat and teach them like they matter.
#3 Standardised testing might not be the best way to measure learning anymore.
Put the pitchfork down.
Look, I get why tests exist. They offer a way to measure progress at scale.
But more and more, qualifications and degrees are not mattering as much as they used to.
In fact, top companies like Google are ditching judging candidates with traditional degrees altogether and are looking to train them with their own internal qualifications instead.
Finland’s education system is considered one of the best in the world.
Their education system doesn’t rely heavily on standardised testing. Instead, they focus on:
• High levels of teacher autonomy and trust
• Less homework and more in-class collaboration
• Project-based learning that mirrors real-world challenges
And guess what? Finnish students consistently rank among the top in the world for academic performance, well-being, and life satisfaction.
It’s not to say that everything they do is perfect. They have their own unique challenges.
And I don’t want to be seen by a doctor who has just watched a thousand hours of YouTube videos.
But we could learn a lot if we are willing to think outside the box and marry formal education with these more innovative approaches.
Are these the right answers?
They are my best guesses. Things are constantly shifting at breakneck speed.
But should I stumble in the dark on my own?
Not on your nelly.
I look for help, and I know where to get it.
For the second year running, I’m delighted and proud to be one of the official partners of the Schools & Academies Show 2025 taking place today in London at the Excel Centre.
And are today’s newsletter sponsor. 😎
This year, you’re getting a triple-header with three co-located shows in one place:
• EdTech Innovate
• The School Estates Summit
• The SEND Conference
SAAS’s remit is simple: bring together the best thinkers, innovators, and doers to figure out how we in education can ride this wave of technological disruption with the style and grace of an Australian Olympic surfer.
With over 200+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors, and 50+ hours of CPD-certified content, you’ll leave the day with the toolkit you need to leave a lasting impact on your school.
I’m attending the event and looking forward to the knowledge, exhibitions, and all the people I’ll meet on the day.
And the best part? It costs my favourite number. Absolutely free.
Register for your FREE ticket here: 😎👇🏾
https://hubs.la/Q03jt2XZ0
Join me down there, and if you see me, don’t hesitate to say hello!
That’s all for today.
The next newsletter will come out on Thursday 29th May 2025.
See you then.
Karl
