The TechEd Podcast

Artificial intelligence is moving from novel feature to core infrastructure, and that shift is forcing companies, schools and regulators to confront a harder question than how to use the technology: how to govern it.
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Matt Kirchner talks with Patrick Sullivan, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at A-LIGN, about the emerging rules of the AI economy. From the EU AI Act and a patchwork of state-level regulation in the U.S. to new standards like ISO 42001, Sullivan explains why AI is beginning to look less like a software feature and more like a system that carries real operational, security and compliance risk.
The conversation also gets into the practical tension leaders are facing now. How do you innovate without creating blind spots? How do you use AI to improve decisions without mishandling student data, exposing customers or introducing risk you do not fully understand? Sullivan’s argument is that done right, governance is not the brake pedal. It is the structure that allows organizations to move faster without losing control.
In this episode:
Why AI products are starting to face the kind of scrutiny manufacturers already know well
What the EU AI Act reveals about where regulation can quickly become burdensome
Why adding AI without a clear value proposition is becoming an expensive mistake
All about new ISO standards for AI
How bias, de-identification, and prompt injection are reshaping AI risk
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. AI is forcing leaders to think about products, risk, and compliance in a new way. Patrick draws a sharp distinction between how the U.S. often treats AI as software and how the EU increasingly treats AI as part of a broader product, including embedded systems like medical devices. That shift matters because it changes how organizations think about safety, conformity, and responsibility before a product ever reaches the market. 
2. The AI race is producing a lot of motion, but not always much value. Many organizations are adding AI because the market expects it, not because the business case is strong. One MIT study suggests only a small share of enterprises surveyed were realizing meaningful ROI. Leaders need to ask whether the technology creates real value or simply creates new cost, risk, and complexity. 
3. Good governance is not a brake on innovation; it's what makes innovation durable. Patrick’s most effective metaphor is the football field: the lines are not there to punish you, but to show where you can move fast and where you are out of bounds. That idea comes through again when he discusses ISO management systems, lifecycle thinking, investor expectations, and enterprise buyers who increasingly want proof that AI is being developed and used responsibly.
Resources in this Episode:
Follow Patrick on LinkedIn
ISO 42001 - AI Management Systems
More links & resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/sullivan/
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Are employers hurting themselves by only asking for 'soft skills' and ignoring their real technical needs? How can homeschool students get the same access to STEM labs as students in traditional schools? And what can education leaders learn from the way the Manhattan Project mobilized talent and innovation to solve an enormous problem?
These questions (and more!) came directly from the you, and we're answering them on this episode of Ask Us Anything. Entrepreneurship, career strategy, workforce skills, and the rapidly evolving role of AI in modern organizations - we cover them all!
In this episode:
The best times to take entrepreneurial risks
Why your professional network is probably bigger than you think
The "soft skills" issue and why employers are actually hurting themselves by asking educators to teach them
Rapid-fire real examples of AI being used in business
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1.Early-career risk can be an advantage for entrepreneurs. Matt explains that early in your career the consequences of failure are often much smaller, which makes it an ideal time to experiment with starting a business or pursuing a bold opportunity. With fewer financial obligations and more flexibility, young professionals often have the greatest ability to take meaningful risks.
2. Industry is hurting itself by only asking schools for soft skills instead of technical ones. Businesses frequently tell educators they want graduates who communicate well, collaborate, and show initiative. So why is industry so shocked that there aren't enough students with any technical background or interest? Employers: take a look at your job postings and start asking education to teach all the skills for those jobs: soft and technical (hard) skills alike.
3. Private schools have a unique opportunity to innovate in STEM education. Because they often have more flexibility than traditional public systems, private schools can move quickly to adopt emerging technologies, modern equipment, and new instructional models. That freedom creates an opportunity to design programs that expose students to advanced STEM fields earlier and more creatively.
Resources in this Episode:
Jack Dorsey’s Block to Lay Off 40% of Its Workforce in AI Remake
Oppenheimer movie
Developing an AI Strategy: Best Practices for Business Leaders - Todd Wanek, CEO of Ashley Furniture Industries
Using AI to Build Better Relationships with Your Network - Canay Deniz, CEO of Ren
More notes & resources on the episode page!
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What does the rise of AI mean for technical programs? Surprisingly, it's not a new concept to CTE fields. It is embedded in robotics, automation, diagnostics, and data modeling across modern manufacturing facilities today.
In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Matt Kirchner sits down with Dr. Andrew Neuendorf, Associate Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering, Trades, and Transportation at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), to explore what applied AI actually means inside CTE programs and why education must move beyond generative AI.
With a background in English and the humanities, Andrew offers a rare perspective on how artificial intelligence is perceived differently across academic disciplines. From robotics labs to industrial technician programs, he explains where AI has already been embedded for years, where disruption is coming next, and how community colleges can respond with clarity rather than panic.
From design software disruption to AI-assisted troubleshooting and entry-level data modeling skills, this conversation will help technical educators think about applied artificial intelligence in their programs.
In this episode:
Why robotics and automation programs have been teaching AI longer than they realize
The hidden risk inside CAD and design-heavy technical pathways
How students are using AI to troubleshoot equipment faster than faculty expect
Why the “trades are safe from AI” narrative may be dangerously simplistic
Why competency-based education might be a better model in this AI-driven world
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. Applied AI has already been embedded in CTE for years. Robotics vision systems, PLC-driven automation, driver-assist sensors, and predictive maintenance models have quietly trained students in machine intelligence long before generative AI dominated headlines. The difference today is scale and accessibility, not the existence of AI itself.
2. The future disruption isn’t blue collar versus white collar — it’s discipline by discipline. Andrew argues that assuming the trades are immune to AI disruption is a strategic mistake, particularly in design-heavy roles like CAD and digital modeling. Education must evaluate AI’s impact at the skill level rather than rely on outdated workforce categories.
3. Students may lead the applied AI shift inside technical programs. From uploading robot manuals into NotebookLM to accelerating troubleshooting in automation labs, students are modeling AI-assisted problem solving in real time. Institutions that recognize this and structure learning around it will move faster than those focused solely on policing its use.
Resources in this Episode:
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn
Other resources:
"Something Big is Happening" by Matt Schumer
Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) CES Keynote
Six Days in China: The Speed, Scale and Strategy Outpacing U.S. Innovation - Todd Wanek, CEO of Ashley Furniture
Try Google's NotebookLM
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The labor market is evolving faster than traditional signals of competence can keep up. Roles are shifting, technology is accelerating, and employers are searching for clearer ways to identify real capability. In that environment, degrees remain valuable, but verified skills are becoming increasingly central to hiring and advancement.
In a marketplace now saturated with more than a million credentials, clarity has become the differentiator. Some credentials function as marketing tools. Others function as infrastructure for trust. The difference lies in independence, rigor, defensibility, and industry validation.
In this conversation with Kathleen McNally, CEO of NOCTI, we explore how high-quality third-party credentials create reliable signals for employers, meaningful exit value for learners, and actionable tools for educators. From ISO-backed certification standards to performance testing and stackable micro-credentials, this episode reframes credentials as essential infrastructure for a more agile, skills-driven economy.
In this Episode:
Why employers are shifting from degree-first to skills-aware hiring
What separates a participation badge from a legally defensible certification
How micro-credentials create flexibility without sacrificing rigor
How “exit value” changes the way we think about graduation
Why performance-based assessment strengthens workforce confidence
3 Big Takeaways
1. Verified credentials are strengthening the signal in a fast-moving labor market. As job roles evolve more quickly than traditional degree cycles, employers are seeking precise indicators of job-ready capability. Third-party certifications developed with national industry input provide measurable proof of occupational and technical competency.
2. Quality and independence determine whether a credential carries real weight. With more than a million credentials available, rigor is what separates noise from trust. ISO-aligned, legally defensible certifications built through independent subject matter experts reduce hiring risk and create consistency across regions and employers.
3. Micro-credentials are enabling lifelong learning with structure and momentum. Stackable certifications allow learners to document specific competencies at any stage of their career. Whether entering the workforce, reskilling mid-career, or adding new capabilities such as AI literacy, credentials create flexible on-ramps and sustained pathways for advancemen
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Over the past several years, many leaders have noticed a subtle but meaningful shift inside their organizations: the erosion of basic workplace courtesies, particularly from younger employees new to the professional workplace. Not misconduct; not ethical lapses. But something more subtle. Employees announcing time off instead of requesting it. Cameras off in meetings. Missed meetings treated casually. Messages left unanswered for a day or more. Delegating up.
Matt Kirchner addresses these patterns directly, sharing firsthand stories from his own companies and examining what has changed in professional norms, and why.
This is not a critique of younger employees. We're all for promoting emerging leaders and believe early-career professionals bring energy, ambition, and a willingness to attempt what others might dismiss. But many of these individuals also entered the workforce after losing formative years of in-person education, internships, and social development during COVID-era isolation. As a result, expectations that once felt intuitive often now require explicit instruction.
This episode explores specific areas where standards are slipping and explains how organizations can reestablish expectations without embarrassment or blame. Matt closes with a practical framework for addressing unprofessional behavior consistently and constructively, with the goal of strengthening culture rather than policing it.
Listen to Learn:
The workplace behaviors that are quietly reshaping organizational culture
How pandemic disruptions affected professional social development
Why virtual meeting norms have outsized cultural impact
What “delegating up” reveals about accountability and ownership
A structured approach for restoring workplace standards without alienating newer employees
Resources in this Episode:
Read the article in Products Finishing: "Relearning Common Courtesies in the Workplace"
Follow Matt on LinkedIn
View more resources on the episode page!

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