Thought Full: The Human Advantage in an AI World

Po-Shen Loh

October 24, 2026 | 8:00PM

In a world where artificial intelligence can now complete many of the tasks once used to measure academic achievement, Carnegie Mellon University professor, social entrepreneur, and educational innovator Po-Shen Loh invites families, educators, students, and community leaders to consider a powerful question: What skills will matter most for the next generation? Drawing from his experiences speaking with families and educators in more than 100 cities each year, teaching in classrooms, and learning directly from students, parents, teachers, and AI innovators, Loh offers a hopeful vision for preparing young people not only to adapt to change, but also to lead with purpose.

Rather than focusing only on grades, test scores, or memorization, Loh makes the case for nurturing the deeply human qualities technology cannot replace: critical thinking, creativity, communication, courage, leadership, curiosity, and the ability to solve unfamiliar problems. Through mathematics as a medium, he shows how students can build confidence by thinking deeply, sharing ideas boldly, and approaching challenges with imagination rather than fear. At the heart of his work is the philosophy of being “thought+full”: thinking creatively and intentionally while also caring deeply for others.

Loh will also share how this mission is coming to life through LIVE, the learning ecosystem he founded in 2022. By blending STEM, communication, leadership, and theater, LIVE helps students grow academically and personally as they learn to communicate clearly, lead independently, mentor others, and build meaningful connections across a growing national and global community. More than a conversation about AI, this talk is a call to raise a “thought+full” generation: young people defined not only by what they know, but also by how they think, how they lead, how they care for others, and how they use their gifts to make a difference in the world around them.