07/13/2026
With summer here, your college or university student is probably enjoying some well-earned downtime. That's great — but I want to share something that I believe is more important than any internship or summer job they could land this season.
We are living through one of the fastest technological shifts in modern history. Artificial intelligence isn't a future trend — it's already rewriting how companies hire, promote, and pay. AI tools are being embedded into virtually every industry: finance, healthcare, law, marketing, and engineering. A 2026 study by Goldman Sachs estimates AI could impact 300 million jobs globally. The winners will be the people who know how to use it.1
Ask your child about how much AI is getting incorporated into their coursework. Curriculum cycles can take years to change, so some programs may not be teaching students how to prompt, build, or strategically apply AI tools in real-world settings.
This summer is a rare window of opportunity.
So, encourage your student to find a job, but also to invest in "sharpening the saw" with new AI skills. Free and low-cost resources could give them an edge before their peers even realize one exists.
The students who return to campus in September with a stronger AI game might be playing at a different level.