Learning to Navigate the Uncertain Future with AI

What does it look like to thrive in a world that’s changing faster than we can predict?

Tara Mandrekar asked John Seely Brown this question in their most recent conversation, and his answer might surprise you. Rather than reaching for the usual talking points about productivity or fear, JSB pointed to something more fundamental: learning itself, and what it means to navigate uncertainty well.

He draws on decades of thinking about how humans and institutions actually grow, and on his own experiences as a kayaker, a hitchhiker, and someone who has watched technology reshape society more than once.

What emerges from this conversation is a genuinely hopeful idea: that AI, approached thoughtfully, could make us sharper learners and more attuned to the world around us. The opportunity is in asking better questions, reading context more deeply, and learning alongside each other in ways that weren’t possible before.

The question he and Tara wrestle with is one worth sitting with. What role do young people need to play to get us there? And what does it actually mean to live and learn smartly in a world this complex?

Watch the conversation and tell us what you think!