AI Won't Replace Historians
To their credit, the researchers are modest about their findings. They note that in the past, efficiency tools have often tended to increase the value of work, not decrease it. Whether generative AI will have a similar effect is too early to tell.
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Chicago Tribune
14 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Bradshaw: Advice for high schoolers entering the AI era
Dear Freshman, You're starting high school with an advantage: you already know you're interested in math and computers. That focus can set you apart — but you need to understand the world you're stepping into. By the time you graduate, artificial intelligence will be doing much of the work people train years for today. Coding simple programs, solving standard math problems, even designing basic websites — AI can already do these things faster, cheaper, and often better than most humans. And it's improving. The newest version of Chat GPT-5 was released last Thursday. It's a doctorate-level expert on any subject. Anyone can create software by typing in simple English language prompts. It's called 'vibe coding.' That's not a reason to give up. It's a reason to aim higher. Your goal isn't just to learn skills — it's to learn how to think, adapt, and work with AI, so you're the one directing the tools, not the one being replaced by them. 1. Build your math foundation — because reasoning is still human territory. Math as a set of procedures is easy for AI. Math as a way of thinking is still a human edge. Algebra and geometry aren't just boxes to check—they're your training ground for logical reasoning, problem decomposition, and spotting errors. AI can solve a problem, but it often can't judge whether the problem makes sense. Aim for mastery, not speed. If you take calculus by senior year, great — but the bigger win is learning to frame problems, question assumptions, and verify solutions, especially when AI hands you an answer. Those skills translate into every field AI will touch — which is all of them. 2. Learn to code — but as a designer, not just a typist. Yes, AI can write code. In fact, it can write decent code with just a short prompt. That means your value isn't in typing every line — it's in knowing what to build, why it matters, and how to guide the AI to produce it. Python is still a great starting point, but think of it as learning to read and write in a new language so you can collaborate with AI fluently. The earlier you understand the structure of programs, the easier it will be to spot AI's mistakes, combine AI-generated components into something original, and add the creativity and judgment that machines still lack. 3. Join competitions and projects — but choose ones AI can't dominate. Math competitions and coding hackathons are still valuable but understand the landscape: AI can already solve many contest style problems. The human advantage now is in creative problem framing, strategy, and interpreting messy, incomplete data. Look for contests or projects that require innovation, interdisciplinary thinking, or human insight — like robotics design, ethical AI challenges, or data projects tied to real world communities. If your school doesn't have a club that takes this approach, start one. Colleges will notice a student who organizes an 'AI + Society' club more than another generic coding group. 4. Make summers your AI-era laboratory. Summer projects matter more than ever — but the projects that will stand out are those that combine AI with something unique to you. Building yet another calculator app won't impress anyone. Using AI to analyze local environmental data and present it to city planners? That's original. By the time you're applying to college, admissions officers will see thousands of AI-assisted projects. The ones that stand out will be those where the student clearly drove the vision, used AI as a partner, and produced something tied to a personal interest or local need. 5. Read widely — especially about how technology reshapes society. The technical history of people like Alan Turing and Grace Hopper is still inspiring. But now you should also study the thinkers wrestling with AI's impact — economists, ethicists, historians of technology. Understand not only how to build a tool, but how that tool changes jobs, politics, and even human relationships. Books like 'Life 3.0' by Max Tegmark or 'Prediction Machines' by Agrawal, Gans, and Goldfarb will give you a broader view of AI's role in the economy you're heading into. 6. Communication is no longer optional, it's survival. Ironically, as AI gets better at writing and speaking, human communication skills are becoming more valuable. In your high school years, practice turning complex, AI-assisted work into clear, persuasive presentations. Lead a meeting, explain your process, write a compelling project report. These skills will help you manage AIdriven teams later on. 7. Treat curiosity as your competitive advantage. AI is trained on the past. Your edge is seeing possibilities that aren't in its data yet. That's why you should follow your curiosity beyond the obvious — physics, economics, art, and philosophy. Many of the breakthroughs in AI itself come from unexpected intersections of disciplines. When something sparks your interest, chase it down — talk to experts, experiment, connect it back to your math and computer skills. The more unique the mix of your knowledge is, the harder you are to replace. No better place to ask these questions than as a student on the high school newspaper. 8. Find mentors who are already living in the AI-augmented world. Seek out people who use AI in their work today — engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs. Ask not just how they use the tools, but how those tools are changing the nature of their jobs. Learn what tasks have been automated, what new opportunities have opened up, and where the human role is shifting. Here's the truth: by the time you finish high school, AI will be far better at many of the skills schools still test you on. But the people who thrive won't be the ones competing with AI on speed or memory — they'll be the ones orchestrating it, combining its output with human insight, creativity, and values. Your mission over the next four years is to train yourself to think critically, work adaptively, and use AI as a force multiplier for your own ideas. That's not just how you protect your future, it's how you lead it.
Business Insider
15 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Some travel advisors are using AI to help plan trips and boost business — and they're not afraid they'll be replaced
Some travel agents are leveraging AI tools to plan trips more efficiently and increase bookings. They said AI can't replace the personal touch and expertise of travel agents. This article is part of " How AI Is Changing Everything," a series on AI adoption across industries. Decades ago, travel agents held the keys to the world, crafting and coordinating trips for the everyday traveler. Then came Expedia, Google, and other online booking behemoths that shifted control directly to consumers, forcing agents to adapt. Now, another disruption has arrived: artificial intelligence. And while its ability to plan travel may have some agents feeling fearful once more, a new wave of travel advisors see AI not as a threat, but a tool. And they're leaning in. Booking travel with AI Athena Livadas owns Páme Travel, which specializes in booking five-star luxury travel. She uses AI daily to come up with high-level thoughts on routes or destinations, write emails faster, and drive her business. "Most travel advisors don't see the need, or even get offended, when AI is brought up in the context of travel planning. But I couldn't disagree more," she told Business Insider. "It's not replacing us. It's a tool that gives advisors super powers to deliver even more value." And according to her metrics, it's working. "When I look at a six-month period before and after I started using AI, my business has grown about 40%," she said. "Of course there are other factors involved, but the time AI saves me has definitely been a contributing reason. It has freed me up to take on more clients and focus on marketing and outreach efforts that actually drive business results." While there's no data yet on industry-wide adoption of AI tools, it's clear Livadas isn't the only one getting a boost from the technology. Fora, a digital travel agency with hundreds of advisors around the world, integrates AI internally in its own proprietary platforms where most advisors use it regularly. "Fora began rolling out AI-powered tools in the fall of 2023," said Jake Peters, the company's cofounder and chief product and technology officer. "These tools are integrated directly into the advisor workflow, whether it's drafting proposals, building itineraries, or creating marketing content." One tool, for example, helps format text to be easier to read and more client-friendly. "This feature is used 70% of the time when we are showing rates in our booking platform," Peters said. Another is a chatbot called Sidekick, which Fora has trained on all of its proprietary information, including trainings, help center articles, and hotel and destination information. "It's used by 25% of advisors each month, and 35% of advisors who are new to Fora," Peters added. Rita Carton, an advisor with Fora, estimates that AI — including Fora's internal tools and strategic use of ChatGPT for research — reduces her average trip planning time by 50%, cuts her client response time in half, and has increased bookings three times compared to last year. "A year ago, I could only manage two to three trips at a time and maybe five a quarter," she said. "In Q1 of this year, I successfully handled nine simultaneous trips, tripling my capacity without compromising service quality." AI may be helpful, but it can't do it all Whether or not other agents agree on the need to embrace AI, it's surely influencing how consumers plan travel. A Deloitte survey conducted from October 2023 to October 2024 found that the share of respondents who used generative AI for trip planning doubled from 8% to 16%. "I feel like we're at a similar age with AI that we were when the internet started to boom," Livadas said. "You either adapt and learn how to use it to better your outputs for clients, or you'll be left behind." That said, Livadas doesn't think AI is going to replace travel agents anytime soon. She warned that travelers should expect to get common, generic travel advice from AI rather than the off-the-beaten-path, hidden gems that travel agents can help uncover. "For example, if you're planning a trip to Japan, it'll probably spit out the usual Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka route with big chain-brand hotels," she said. "But if I were building the itinerary and I knew the client loved surfing, I would include Kamakura, a small fishing village with a mellow longboard wave that's perfect in summer." These examples, she said, are exactly the kind of tailored touches AI routinely overlooks that travel advisors weave into itineraries every day. This disconnect is directly aligned with the one major thing AI can't replicate. "The travel agency is all about relationships," Carton said. "We go directly to the hotel after we book to get the manager, and I cannot tell you how many clients have told me they got upgraded or had surprises in the room as a result. You can't do that yourself." Indeed, personalized in-room perks, free upgrades, and moments meant to delight are hallmarks of the travel agent's touch. "A lot of the value we bring is relationship-driven, and that will never go away," Livadas said. "I personally know general managers of five-star luxury properties all over the world that will welcome my guests upon arrival with a personalized gift from me. How can a bot do that?"
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Stanley Druckenmiller ramps up health-care stock exposure, gets back into Microsoft
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller 's top three biggest holdings at the end of June were all health-care stocks and he also invested back into one of his favorite artificial intelligence plays, Microsoft , according to a regulatory filing. The former lead portfolio manager for George Soros' Quantum Fund, who now runs his own Duquesne Family Office, hiked his stakes in Teva Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company Insmed last quarter, making them his fund's second and third largest holdings, the filing showed. Clinical genetic testing company Natera remained Druckenmiller's top bet, worth more than half a billion at the end of June. The legendary investor, who has never had a down year in the markets, took a $100 million stake in Microsoft in the second quarter, after exiting the tech position in the third quarter of 2024. Druckenmiller was applauded for his big win on key AI player Nvidia in 2022 as he was one of the earliest investors to see the potential in the burgeoning industry, comparing the power of AI to the internet. He once called Nvidia and Microsoft his favored names to play the theme. However, he exited the winning bet last year, later admitting it was a "big mistake" as Jensen Huang's company continued its rally. Still, Microsoft is outperforming the market again this year, up 22% year to date. The stock topped a $4 trillion market cap on July 30 for the first time ever. Druckenmiller shot to fame after helping make a $10 billion bet against the British pound in 1992. He later oversaw $12 billion as president of Duquesne Capital Management before closing his firm in 2010.
