The future of education in an AI world | Calvin Coyles | TEDxAlmansorParkStudio

Artificial intelligence can now pass exams, write essays and answer questions quickly, raising doubts about whether a university degree is still worth it. In this TEDx talk, entrepreneur and educator Calvin Coyles argues that knowing something and being able to do something are different skills. He draws on his own university experience, his journey with dyslexia and a lesson from teaching his daughter to ride a bike. The talk points to agency as a key advantage in an AI-shaped world: the belief to begin, the courage to act and the ability to adapt. It asks what will make people valuable when knowledge is widely available. The speaker presents this as a way to rethink degrees, education and the skills taught to the next generation.

• Why AI challenges the value of exams, essays and university degrees
• Knowing versus doing: a lesson from teaching a child to ride a bike
• Agency as an advantage: belief to begin, courage to act, ability to adapt
• Rethinking the skills future generations should learn

What happens when AI can pass your exams, write your essays and answer questions faster than you ever could? Is a university degree still worth it? For generations, we’ve been told that the more we learn, the more successful we’ll become. But artificial intelligence is changing the rules. In this thought-provoking TEDx talk, entrepreneur and educator Calvin Coyles challenges how we think about education, intelligence and what it takes to succeed. Drawing on his own university experience, his journey with dyslexia and a surprising lesson from teaching his daughter to ride a bike, Calvin reveals why knowing something and being able to do something are two very different things. Backed by research into how humans learn, he explores an essential advantage in the age of AI: Agency. The belief to begin, the courage to act and the ability to adapt. If knowledge is available to everyone, what will make someone valuable in the future? This talk might just change the way you think about degrees, education and the skills we should be teaching the next generation. Calvin Coyles is a global speaker and entrepreneur who has delivered more than 1,000 events across 80+ countries. As the Founder and CEO of Wild Success, he has helped over 500,000 clients worldwide create meaningful change. Wild Success was recognised as APAC’s #1 NLP and Coaching company in 2024 and won Business Coaching Firm of the Year in 2025. Calvin is a #1 international best-selling author and was named one of USA Today’s “Top 10 Conscious Male Thought Leaders to Watch.” He built his first million at 24, grew to $1 million per month by 27, and studied at UWA, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, and King’s College London. His journey started when he left university $40,000 in debt and spent six months working for free while learning NLP, mindset, and personal development. Within ten months of launching his first business, he reached $1 million in revenue, beginning a decade of work in transformation and coaching. Through supporting more than 200,000 clients, he developed the WILD Method, a framework that empowers people to break patterns, elevate their mindset, and create lasting results. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx