In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, KJ sits down with Colin Cooper, CEO and co-founder of Illuminate XR, to explore the massive skills gap threatening our workforce. With over 100 companies under his belt and thousands of global hires, Colin has witnessed firsthand how our 200-year-old education system is failing to prepare people for today's AI-driven world. Discover how immersive technology, emotional intelligence training, and personalized learning are revolutionizing the way humans learn, and why the next few years will determine whether we step into the "age of humanity" or fall behind forever.

Four Key Takeaways

1. The Education System Is 200 Years Behind (4:42)
   Our schools still operate on an industrial-age factory model designed to create compliant workers, not creative thinkers. Classrooms haven't fundamentally changed in over 1,000 years, and curriculum remains rooted in preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
2. Meet Learners Where They Are (7:40)
   Real learning happens when you reduce cortisol and increase dopamine by connecting education to personal interests. Whether it's tailoring physics lessons to football or basketball, or using horses to teach emotional intelligence, personalization is the key to engagement and retention.
3. AI Should Amplify, Not Replace (20:05)
   The future isn't about AI replacing teachers or workers—it's about using AI as a personal assistant to handle repetitive tasks. Start by identifying one repetitive task in your job and automate it with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity.
4. We're Living Through 25 Years of Progress Every Year (29:20)
   The convergence of AI and VR—technologies that shouldn't have merged for another 15-20 years—has compressed innovation timelines. What used to take 10-15 years to bring to market now takes weeks. The next 3-4 years will be transformative, and we have one shot to get it right.

 Quote of the Show (29:40):
"When a year goes by, you normally get one year's worth of progress, but where we're at today, a year goes by and it's like 20 to 25 years of technology growth." – Colin Cooper

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Ways to connect with Colin Cooper:
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmbcooper/
Company Website: https://illuminatexr.com

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