Thinking Beyond AI: Lessons From Dr. Goldman’s TED Talk

This is a guest post, written by Nick Metzgar of UofL's Online Learning Team. 

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses solve problems, make decisions and operate. As these tools become a mainstay in the workplace, future business leaders must learn not only how to use them, but how to think alongside them. 

In his recent TED Talk, University of Louisville College of Business professor, Dr. Zac Goldman, discussed learning and leading in an AI-driven world. Dr. Goldman is chair of the Management & Entrepreneurship department, director of College of Business Online Teaching and Learning unit and online MBA program director. 

In the age of artificial intelligence, how you think and connect may matter more than what any technology can do. While AI can generate answers instantly, Goldman believes the most important skills in business and beyond remain deeply human. Leadership, critical thinking and meaningful connection cannot be automated. As he puts it, “Students learn best when they feel seen by other humans, and no tool is going to replace that.” 

Dr. Goldman opened his TED Talk with a childhood memory of a salesman convincing his mother to buy a 23-volume encyclopedia set. At the time, she believed it was an investment in her son's education and future. But the internet eventually transformed how people accessed information, making the encyclopedias largely obsolete. Today, AI is reshaping how we find and use information. Looking back, Goldman realized the true investment was never the books themselves, but his mother's belief in the value of learning and her commitment to his future. 

Today's students have access to more information than ever before, but information alone is not a substitute for active learning. Real learning comes from asking thoughtful questions, embracing challenges and engaging with peers, professors and mentors who encourage growth. As AI makes information easier to access, the ability to think critically, adapt and continue learning becomes even more valuable. 

This distinction is especially important for business students. Future business leaders won’t find success because they can summarize a report or generate answers. They’ll find success because they can analyze, think critically and make decisions where answers aren’t as obvious.  

Goldman encourages students to reframe how they use AI. One of his favorite prompts is to ask: “What am I missing?” It’s a simple question, but it changes how it’s used in AI-assisted learning. Rather than replacing human thought, it serves as a tool to expand it. It can encourage students to immerse themselves in a deeper learning process and seek a deeper understanding of the world around them. 

As students prepare for business careers, they’ll be expected to lead teams, solve problems and make difficult choices. AI can provide data and recommendations, but Goldman argues that leadership has never been about simply having the right answers. Trust, clarity and care are pillars of great leadership.  

Leaders must earn trust through consistency. Clarity helps everyone on their team understand the direction and reasoning behind decisions, and care is a uniquely human aspect of leadership that prioritizes people, not just profit. As emerging technologies continue to reshape the workplace, these values become even more important. Technology may become more efficient, but it can’t build relationships or earn trust.  

Goldman encourages future leaders to think beyond results and consider the values upheld behind every decision. Integrity and ethics remain human responsibilities that will become even more essential to leadership, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. 

There is no doubt that technology will continue to evolve, and the need for the workplace to evolve with it. Professionals across all fields and industries will experience an ever-changing advancement landscape, and continuous skills development will be a given requirement. 

This is why Goldman argues that continuous learning has never been more important. Predicting every change and advancement is impossible, but developing critical thinking, communication and leadership skills will always be a valuable and critical foundation. 

For business students, mastering every single piece of technology that exists is an impossible task. Becoming adaptable to learning alongside it is not – it should be a constant objective.  

Professionals who continue to ask questions and embrace lifelong learning will be better equipped to handle what comes next. Developing this mindset prepares college students not just for their first job, but for many changes and challenges they will encounter throughout their career. 

Today’s college students may turn to AI for quick answers instead of spending hours in a library or using an encyclopedia, but deeper learning, mentorship and leadership are human evidence. That’s what humans bring to the table in the race against machines.  

Dr. Goldman’s encyclopedias eventually became outdated, but the lessons they represent will never fade. The greatest investment was people around him believing in his potential, not the information in the books. 

At the University of Louisville, the College of Business community of faculty, staff, peers and experts invest in our students’ development every day, teaching, guiding and challenging them to lead with trust, clarity and care. AI may reshape how business is done, but the ability to think critically, learn and lead will always remain human.