At the National Governors Association’s 2025 Summer Meeting, entrepreneur Mark Cuban warned: Education is stuck in the past, and artificial intelligence could be the tool to pull it into the future.
“We’re still teaching like it’s 1880,” Cuban said. “And that’s part of the problem.”
Cuban argued that classrooms are still built around memorization, uniform instruction, and grading on a curve.
In his view, this outdated approach doesn’t prepare students for a world where AI tools like ChatGPT are already part of daily life.
“Of course every kid’s going to cheat,” he said. “They’re going to use it anyway. The problem isn’t that they’re using it… the problem is we can’t teach them critical thinking skills” under the current system.
AI as the Great Equalizer
Cuban sees AI as the most consequential technology yet, surpassing even the internet.
He described large language models as “autocomplete” on steroids, tools that can pull from vast data sets to generate answers, summaries, and ideas.
While these models are not perfect, he said they can dramatically improve how children and adults learn.
“There’s nothing that they don’t have access to,” Cuban said, noting that a child in the worst-funded school can use AI to access the same information as top-level researchers. “That is the ultimate democratization… of knowledge.”
He envisions AI tutors that customize lessons, monitor student progress, and flag when a child is struggling or excelling.
Parents and teachers could receive automatic updates, allowing for more targeted support.
Cuban believes curiosity is the most important skill for any learner. AI, he said, can feed that curiosity in ways the traditional classroom cannot.
“There’s nothing in my mind better than our children going down these curiosity rabbit holes… finding things that they are insatiable about learning more.”
Preparing for a Changing Workforce
Beyond education, Cuban told governors they must prepare students and workers for a future where AI fluency is as essential as reading or math.
“There are going to be two types of companies in this world,” he said. “Those who are great at AI and everybody else.”
He advised states to partner with tech companies to create large-scale retraining programs, giving workers the skills to integrate AI into their jobs.
For trades and manufacturing, Cuban said robotics and automation will reshape the landscape, creating new opportunities while eliminating some traditional roles.
“Physical dexterity is coming,” he said, predicting robotics will impact industries from construction to electrical work.
Governors, he argued, should watch what local startups and venture capitalists are investing in to anticipate future job skills.
Tackling Healthcare Inefficiency
Cuban also addressed healthcare, calling the U.S. system costly and inefficient.
He criticized pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for overcharging states and employees, urging governors to demand transparent pricing and consider adding his own company, Cost Plus Drugs, to their networks.
“They’re ripping them off,” Cuban said of PBMs. He recommended that states audit these companies and eliminate pricing tiers and high co-insurance that make essential medications unaffordable.
Risks, Regulation, and Addiction Concerns
Some governors raised concerns about AI’s downsides, including student overreliance and tech addiction.
Cuban acknowledged those risks but said the biggest problems emerge when platforms are driven by advertising revenue.
“No ads in any of these models,” he advised for government partnerships, warning that ad-based incentives misalign with user interests.
For minors, he suggested requiring platforms to give parents a log of all content viewed. “As a parent, I would understand,” Cuban said.
Not Teaching “AI” – Using AI to Teach
Cuban pushed back on the idea of separate AI courses. “They’re using AI. That’s bad?… We have this unique tool that has never existed before. We have to use that in a way to teach that’s never been done before.”
In his view, AI should be embedded in every subject and used to personalize instruction, challenge students, and encourage deeper thinking.
“You explain to me why, face-to-face,” he said, describing how interactive AI-based modules could replace static lectures.
Looking ahead, Cuban said AI is still in its early stages, comparable to the infancy of streaming media.
“Don’t look at it the way it is today,” he told the governors. “Just open the door for your people to act as entrepreneurs… and go with it. It is such an amazing tool.”
IMAGE CREDIT: “Mark Cuban” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.