In this conversation, Brittany Aubin (learning experience leader specializing in EdTech, AI-powered learning, and instructional design) and I explore what we must not forget when AI makes learning frictionless.
Brittany shares a deceptively simple example: using ChatGPT to generate Excel formulas. She could get the answer instantly, but after copying and pasting it five times in one day, she still couldn’t remember it. When she forced herself to practice retrieval—actually trying to recall the formula—she finally retained it. The insight: friction isn’t a bug in learning, it’s a feature.
We discuss how AI is changing our relationship to knowledge acquisition, why “desirable difficulties” matter for retention, and emerging research showing reductions in critical thinking with generative AI use. Brittany reveals how her journalism background—asking good questions, tracking down the why, curating information—has become more relevant than ever in the AI age.
The conversation moves from individual learning to organizational implications: as the economy restructures around uniquely human skills, on-the-job learning becomes crucial. The question isn’t whether to create new digital content on emotional intelligence—it’s whether performance management systems can provide meaningful feedback on skills that suddenly matter more.
Throughout, Brittany emphasizes a pressing truth: AI will change students’ brains. That’s a given. But she remains bullish on humanity—hoping this transition gives us more time and space for what’s truly uniquely us.
Connect with Brittany Aubin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-aubin/
Takeaways
Frictionless access to information through AI reduces retention and recall.
Friction in learning is a feature, not a bug—it creates the difficulty that drives retention.
Desirable difficulties and retrieval practice are essential for deep learning.
Early research suggests AI use may reduce critical thinking skills.
Journalism skills—asking good questions, curating information, tracking the why—are increasingly relevant.
The economy is restructuring around uniquely human skills, not technical knowledge.
On-the-job learning and performance feedback may become primary development mechanisms.
Performance management systems need rubrics for human skills like adaptability and emotional intelligence.
AI will change students’ brains—educators have a mandate to prepare them thoughtfully.
Self-directed learning skills matter more as AI handles routine knowledge work.
The hope: AI frees us to focus on what’s uniquely human.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Brittany Aubin and Learning in the AI Age
01:17 From Journalism to Learning and Development
04:19 The Excel Formula Problem: When Learning Becomes Frictionless
07:01 Friction as a Feature: Why Easy Access Reduces Retention
12:00 Desirable Difficulties and Retrieval Practice
18:00 Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
24:00 What Journalism Taught About Working with AI
30:00 The Closet Metaphor: What Knowledge Do We Actually Need?
36:00 From Knowledge Retention to Uniquely Human Skills
42:00 The Economy Restructuring Around Human Capabilities
45:00 On-the-Job Learning and Performance Management
47:48 What We Must Not Forget About Learning
49:54 Their Brains Will Change: The Educator’s Mandate
50:19 Bullish on Humanity: Hope for What’s Uniquely Us
