This episode of the Interface Podcast features an insightful conversation with Dr. Jason Dou, a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Marbella AI. Operating out of the Harvard Innovation Lab in Boston, Jason is on a mission to empower everyone with AI literacy and cultivate future AI leaders.

While AI might seem daunting or purely technical to some, Jason explains how Marbella AI uses project-based learning to connect artificial intelligence with students' unique passions whether that's learning Japanese, improving senior care, or exploring sports and music. He highlights how no-code tools, like web coding, can turn a three-month website-building struggle into a five-minute success story, proving that the barrier to entry is lower than ever.

As the technological landscape rapidly evolves, Jason dives into why simply typing conversational prompts into a chatbot is already becoming outdated. This episode explores the true definition of AI literacy, the essential skills needed for the future workforce, and why perseverance highlighted by his own journey of facing multiple rejections before reaching Harvard is the ultimate key to success.

What You Will Learn

• Redefining AI Literacy: Understand why moving beyond basic conversational prompts and learning to build applications via "web coding" is crucial for efficiency.
• Project-Based Learning: Discover how combining personal interests with AI (AI + X) creates powerful, self-motivated learning experiences for students.
• The Power of Perseverance: Learn why a "growth mindset" and resilience are vital, backed by Jason's story of applying to Harvard multiple times before succeeding.
• Future-Proof Skills: Find out why communication (with both humans and machines) and a strong appetite to learn are the top skills students must master.
• The AI Advantage: Why the adage "people with AI will replace people who don't use AI" holds true, and how to confidently tackle obstacles to avoid falling behind.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction to the Interface podcast and its educational mission.
• 00:29 Guest Introduction: Dr. Jason Dou of Marbella AI.
• 01:11 Jason's Journey: From studying in China to conducting research globally and arriving at Harvard.
• 07:33 What is Marbella AI? An overview of project-based learning and combining AI with personal interests.
• 12:13 Defining AI Literacy: Moving past basic chatbots to utilizing web coding and AI agents.
• 15:52 Essential Skills: The importance of communication and cultivating a growth mindset.
• 16:34 Mindset & Perseverance: Overcoming obstacles, dealing with rejection, and the value of believing in yourself.
• 18:29 Reversing the Interview: Jason asks Yvonne and Mia about their academic interests and motivations for the podcast.
• 21:18 Final Thoughts: Episode wrap-up and host reflections.

Quotes from the Episode

"People with AI will replace people who don't use AI and the company using AI will replace people who don't use AI."

"I believe perseverance is very important to positions that are truly worth it."

"Communication is really the number one... communicate with both humans and like a machine."

"We want the students to be self-motivated and really pursue what they want."

About the Hosts:

Yvonne and Mia are high school sophomores on a mission to educate students and professionals on the impact of AI across multiple subject matters by providing insights from top experts.

Where to find Dr. Jason Dou and Marbella AI:

• Jason Dou: https ://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondou/

• Marbella AI: https://www.marbellaai.com/

New episodes drop every Friday at 3:00 PM.

This episode of the Interface Podcast features an inspiring conversation with Ying Cao, the CEO and founder of Light Executive Coaching. With a background that spans studying economics at Yale University to leading digital strategy and AI initiatives on Wall Street, Ying brings a unique perspective on the intersection of high finance, technology, and human potential. She shares how her experiences led her to realize that technology alone cannot drive transformation; it requires a shift in leadership mindset.

While many fear that generative AI will replace human jobs, Ying offers a profoundly optimistic view. In this episode, she discusses how AI serves to eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing humans to focus on the creative, strategic, and purely human aspects of their work. From the democratization of app creation using natural language to the inevitable shift toward micro-entrepreneurship, this conversation provides an empowering roadmap for students and professionals to become the "CEOs of their own lives" in the new AI landscape.

What You Will Learn

• The Human Bottleneck: Why the greatest barrier to organizational change is not a lack of technology, but the limitations of human imagination and leadership mindset.
• The Third Wave of Tech Revolution: How generative AI and natural language processing are democratizing technology, allowing anyone to build applications to solve daily problems.
• The New Era of Entrepreneurship: Why the future of work will shift away from traditional corporate employee roles toward highly efficient, smaller-scale companies powered by AI.
• The CEO of Your Life: Practical advice for students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, regardless of their age or current career stage.
• Irreplaceable Human Skills: Why critical thinking, emotional processing, and bold decision-making are the essential skills you must develop that AI cannot replicate.

Chapters

• 01:07 Guest Introduction: Ying Cao’s journey from immigrating from China, to studying at Yale, to her career on Wall Street.
• 04:15 The Limits of Technology: Realizing that human mindset and imagination limit progress more than any digital tool.
• 07:30 AI as a Human Partner: How Light Executive Coaching integrates AI to scale revenue and relieve leaders from repetitive tasks.
• 11:45 Democratizing App Creation: The evolution from writing code to using natural language to build functional applications.
• 16:20 The Changing Landscape of Work: How AI lowers the barrier to entry for starting a business and encourages a shift toward smaller, system-reliant companies.
• 21:10 Advice for the Next Generation: Why young people should use AI as a thought partner while fiercely cultivating their critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Quotes from the Episode

• "I noticed that what really hindered progress is not technology, it is not tool, it’s human."
• "Imagine in the world like this, people, they can use natural language to create applications and they can use those applications to solve their day-to-day problems."
• "In this new AI era, all the students should think like an entrepreneur. Even though you are a high school student, you're already an entrepreneur. You're the CEO of your life..."
• "...what AI cannot do, which you should definitely learn on your own, is critical thinking, right? It's how to think about a problem, how to assess a situation, how to make choices."

About the Hosts

Yvonne and Miya are high school sophomores on a mission to educate students and professionals on the impact of AI across multiple subject matters by providing insights from top experts.

Where to find Ying Cao:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yingcaoyale/

• Website: https://liytcoaching.com/

New episodes drop every Friday at 3:00 PM.

This episode of the Interface Podcast features an enlightening conversation with Professor Xiao Hu, an Associate Professor at the College of Information Science at the University of Arizona. With a background spanning electrical engineering, computer science, and library science, Professor Hu explores the critical intersection where human curiosity meets advanced technology .

While the professional world often views AI as a tool for maximizing output and efficiency, Professor Hu argues that education requires a fundamentally different approach . In this episode, she discusses the necessity of drawing a clear line between using AI for industrial "products" versus using it to enhance "human abilities". From implementing campus-wide AI literacy programs to encouraging students to become "reflective learners," this conversation provides a roadmap for how educators and students can coexist with generative AI without sacrificing critical thinking.

What You Will Learn

• Product vs. Human Ability: Why the goal of AI in education must be building skill sets rather than simply producing high-quality assignments .

• Information Science Decoded: Understanding how this interdisciplinary field bridges the gap between pure engineering and the humanities .

• The Macro Level of AI Literacy: Insights into how major universities are integrating mandatory AI courses to prepare students for a changing society .

• • The "Reflective Learner" Framework: Practical strategies for students to interact with AI as a guide for suggestions rather than a shortcut for results .
  • Learning vs. Performance: Why educators should shift focus toward student mastery and knowledge acquisition rather than just achievement scores.

  
  

  Chapters

• • 00:32 Guest Introduction: Professor Xiao Hu’s academic journey and research focus .

  • 01:21 The Philosophy of Learning: Distinguishing between industry efficiency and educational growth .

  • 02:28 Satisfaction of Curiosity: How a love for physics and "figuring things out" led to higher education.

  • 03:22 Defining Information Science: Studying the intersection of technology and humans .

  • 05:31 AI in Teaching: Moving from dodging AI to teaching responsible, ethical usage .

  • 07:54 Global AI Initiatives: A look at the University of Hong Kong’s AI roadmap and weekly insight series .

  • 09:35 The Ethics of Use: Drawing the line between learning and simple task execution .

  • 11:21 Improving Student Work: Trends in how AI can make student artifacts more concrete and personal when guided correctly .

  • 12:35 The Teacher’s Role: Why regulating AI is an ongoing challenge and why we must prioritize learning over achievement .

  • 14:12 Final Advice: Remaining skeptical, embracing the unknown, and maintaining critical thinking .

  Quotes from the Episode"In terms of learning education, our goal is not the product, it's actually our human abilities."

  "If I got a beautiful paper written up, but I didn't know what I learned and like my brain is blank, then that's not helpful."

  "If I can give teachers a suggestion that is to emphasize on learning rather than achievement or performance."

  "We should embrace AI, but don't lose your critical thinking... That makes us human."

  
  

  About the Hosts

  Yvonne and Miya are high school sophomores on a mission to educate students and professionals on the impact of AI across multiple subject matters by providing insights from top experts.

  • Xiao Hu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiao-hu-12bb93116/

  • Website (Faculty page): https://infosci.arizona.edu/person/xiao-hu

  New episodes drop every Friday at 3:00 PM.