The Future of Learning with Don MacFarlane

Learning with AI: Exams, Anxiety, and The Future of Education

What if students could practice critical exams as many times as they need from home? Benjamin Hughes built a tool that lets them do exactly that, and it's already changing how we think about test anxiety and personalized learning. In this episode, you'll discover how generative AI can transform education from a one-size-fits-all model into something radically personalized. Benjamin shares the prompts he uses to give students individualized feedback, how he helps them identify their own learning gaps, and why he built an AI-powered oral exam simulator to help students overcome test anxiety. You'll also learn why "taste" and process are becoming more important than products in a world where anyone can generate code in seconds. Benjamin Dalsgaard Hughes is an associate professor at Business Academy Copenhagen (EK, formerly KEA) with a master's in digital media engineering from DTU, teaching web development, app development, and practical AI applications to both students and working professionals.   Shownotes: EK - Business Academy Copenhagen [https://www.ek.dk/english] mineksamen.dk – Benjamin's AI-powered oral exam practice tool [http://mineksamen.dk] Ethan Mollick – Professor at Wharton, author of the One Useful Thing newsletter on AI in education and work [https://www.oneusefulthing.org/] Simon Willison – AI developer and blogger with an influential newsletter on AI tools and developments [https://simonwillison.net/] Kasper Junge – Danish AI developer and active commentator on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasper-juunge/] Mikkel Meldgaard - AI and Design Educator Active on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikkel-meldgaard/]   Watch this episode on the Transmission YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@transmission-hq].   Thank you for listening to The Future of Learning with Don MacFarlane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacfar/].   A big thank you to Lasse Hansen from InstantSpeak.dk [http://instantspeak.dk] for recording and mixing the audio, and for providing the studio in Valby. Thanks to Carsten Seidel [https://www.seidel.dk/] for video production and editing, and Nicolai Elbæk [https://www.nelbk.com/] for our graphical identity. Martin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinschultz/] is our executive producer.   The podcast is brought to you by Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/], a professional education company with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/] works with HR and Learning & Development leaders to drive AI literacy and build practical AI capabilities across organizations. To learn more, please visit transmission.dk/podcast [http://transmission.dk/podcast].

10 things you should know about philosophy and AI

When AI writes your essays and thinks through your problems, what happens to your own capacity for thought? In this episode, author and philosopher Thomas Telving [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomastelving/] explores how technology shapes our minds—from cognitive offloading to the alarming research showing AI users dramatically overestimate their own thinking. Drawing on Plato, John Dewey, and contemporary happiness research, Telving offers a thoughtful case for why philosophy may be our best defence against technological burnout. Thomas Telving is a tech analyst, philosopher, author and speaker specialising in artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on ethics, practical application and the wider societal impact of emerging technologies.    Further reading: * “10 ting du skal vide om filosofi og kunstig intelligens [https://www.saxo.com/dk/10-ting-du-skal-vide-om-filosofi-og-kunstig-intelligens_bog_9788743330721]” Book By Thomas Telving * “Killing Sophia” [https://telving.dk/killing-sophia-book/] Book by Thomas Telving * “AI Makes You Smarter, But None the Wiser: The Disconnect Between Performance and Metacognition" [https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.16708] Research paper * Hartmut Rosa on Resonance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuXsoK7y1FQ&t=151s] YouTube Interview   Watch this episode on the Transmission YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@transmission-hq].   Thank you for listening to The Future of Learning with Don MacFarlane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacfar/]. A big thank you to Lasse Hansen from InstantSpeak.dk [http://instantspeak.dk] for recording and mixing the audio, and for providing the studio in Valby. Thanks to Carsten Seidel [https://www.seidel.dk/] for video production and editing, and Nicolai Elbæk [https://www.nelbk.com/] for our graphical identity. Martin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinschultz/] is our executive producer.   The podcast is brought to you by Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/], a professional education company with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/] works with HR and Learning & Development leaders to drive AI literacy and build practical AI capabilities across organizations. To learn more, please visit transmission.dk/podcast [http://transmission.dk/podcast].

Why 30% fewer women use AI and what that means for everyone

In this episode, Katrine Bach, co-founder and CEO of Connected Women in AI, reveals why 30% fewer women use AI than men and how this gender gap threatens both innovation quality and Denmark's digital sovereignty.  Our conversation explores why AI adoption is a confidence problem rather than a competence problem, and how algorithmic bias gets embedded in systems from LinkedIn to healthcare. She also shares how her team built a thriving learning platform in just six weeks using no-code AI tools. Katrine explains why she believes community-driven learning can accelerate adoption. Katrine Bach is an experienced digital transformation leader with more than 25 years of international experience across pharma, technology and strategic innovation, including as Group CEO of Anthill Agency.   Shownotes: * Connected Women in AI [https://www.connectedwomeninai.dk/] * CWAI Learning Platform [https://community.connectedwomeninai.dk/auth] * Lovable (vibe coding platform) [https://lovable.dev/] * Official EU AI Act Information [https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/] * Washington Post: Women Gender-Swapping on LinkedIn [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/12/29/linkedin-women-gender-bias/] * What's Going On with LinkedIn's Algorithm [https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/12/ok-whats-going-on-with-linkedins-algo/]   Thank you for listening to The Future of Learning with Don MacFarlane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacfar/]. A big thank you to Lasse Hansen from InstantSpeak.dk [http://instantspeak.dk] for recording and mixing the audio, and for providing the studio in Valby. Thanks to Carsten Seidel [https://www.seidel.dk/] for video production and editing, and Nicolai Elbæk [https://www.nelbk.com/] for our graphical identity. Martin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinschultz/] is our executive producer. The podcast is brought to you by Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/], a professional education company with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/] works with HR and Learning & Development leaders to drive AI literacy and build practical AI capabilities across organizations. To learn more, please visit transmission.dk/podcast [http://transmission.dk/podcast]

Mads Radoor, Manager of Talent Acquisition and People Operations, Visma e-conomic

Mads Radoor, Manager of Talent Acquisition and People Operations at e-conomic, shares how his team replaced generic training programs with adaptive, theme-based learning that responds to real business needs and employee feedback. He also reveals e-conomic's thoughtful approach to AI in recruitment—cutting through the hype to implement tools that create genuine impact.   Shownotes * Mads Radoor’s interview on effective recruiting (in Danish) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frf-9oIXfcc] * Visma - Nordic enterprise software company [https://www.visma.dk/] * Google NotebookLM: AI-powered research and note-taking tool [https://notebooklm.google]   Thank you for listening to The Future of Learning with Don MacFarlane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacfar/]. A big thank you to Lasse Hansen from InstantSpeak.dk [http://instantspeak.dk] for recording and mixing the audio, and for providing the studio in Valby. Thanks to Carsten Seidel [https://www.seidel.dk/] for video production and editing, and Nicolai Elbæk [https://www.nelbk.com/] for our graphical identity. Martin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinschultz/] is our executive producer. The podcast is brought to you by Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/], a professional education company with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. Transmission [https://www.transmission.dk/] works with HR and Learning & Development leaders to drive AI literacy and build practical AI capabilities across organizations. To learn more, please visit transmission.dk/podcast [http://transmission.dk/podcast]