Episode 361: AI vs Design - The Skills That Will Matter in 2027 with Nick Cawthon (Part 3)

In this episode, we explore the voice-first future of technology and how AI enables instant expertise building, featuring Nick Cawthon's insights on family tech adoption, RAG systems for learning, and preparing for the diamond-shaped workforce.

Keywords

Voice Interface Design, RAG Systems, Universal Basic Income Research, Diamond-Shaped Workforce, AI Learning, Human Computer Interaction, Future of Work, Sandwich Generation Technology, Knowledge Graph Building, Strategic Thinking

Key Takeaways

The Voice-First Generation

• Nick's 83-year-old mother and preteen kids both learned technology through voice commands
• First computer interaction: "Hey Google, turn on the projector" - no keyboards or screens
• Voice assistants became entry point for both aging eyes/unsteady fingers and young minds
• Whisper dictation tool mission: "kill the keyboard" - physical interaction decreasing

AR/VR Reality Check

• Nick deliberately missed the AR wave - headsets and goggles never appealed to him
• Voice interface seemed better approach than "strap-on technologies"
• Still gun-shy about Google Glass and Oculus failures
• Voice accessibility wins over visual complexity for multi-generational users

Building AI Teachers: The UBI Project

• Philanthropist hired Nick to visualize Universal Basic Income data - topic he knew nothing about
• Traditional approach: weeks in academic libraries with highlighters
• AI approach: Built custom RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) system with 200 articles
• Created knowledge graph trained to speak in philanthropist's voice
• Generated academic-level citations with traceable references

RAG System Benefits

• Fast expertise building: "talk about UBI at a party" within days instead of months
• No hallucination risks - all answers traceable to source material
• Custom voice training for client communication style
• Narrative generation to accompany data visualizations

The Agency Learning Pattern

• "You are like an improv actor every couple months where you've got a new thing you gotta know something about"
• Next month it might be banking, hybrid milk, or any random topic
• Process: train a model to understand pros/cons and aggregate diverse sources
• Result: well-rounded opinions and starter directions for any subject

Future of Work Philosophy

• Work will never completely disappear - "connection between mind and body will always need to take place"
• Nick's 13-year-old son: paid Dungeon Master at neighborhood school
• "You're being paid to think with your mind... tell a story to a captive audience"
• Future work: strategic thinking, adaptability, human connection

The Career Choice Framework

• Friend's 10-year-old quote: "Either you're gonna pick a career where you tell computers what to do, or computers tell you what to do"
• Quote "kept me up at night" - drives staying ahead of technology
• Importance of being on the right side of that equation
• Autonomy and levity about industry changes

Diamond-Shaped Workforce

• Shift from pyramid-shaped to diamond-shaped workforce
• "Very few at the top, very few at the bottom, everybody else in the middle"
• Optimistic view: "Instead of climbing corporate ladder, you've been given a jetpack"
• Can "go right to the top" with velocity never seen before

Historical Parallels

• Early 2000s: Dreamweaver and visual web design tools democratized business creation
• Anyone could have website and business behind it
• Similar empowerment happening now with LLM training and AI tools
• Focus on empowering thoughts vs. "oh shit, I'm gonna get downsized"

San Mateo County Model

• Government efforts to ensure AI tools don't replace jobs but create new ones
• Focus on interpreting what new job types are opening up
• Important distinction: transformation vs. elimination
• Everyone will play a part in this change

Links

https://retrain.gauge.io/