American billionaire and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban said that students these days use artificial intelligence (AI) excessively to ask the “right questions”. However, he said that students should not rely much on AI. Instead, they must use AI to enhance their own critical-thinking skills, rather than replace them. “They use strong inputs and apply critical thinking to evaluate results,” he said adding “AI helps students think bigger, but it doesn’t make decisions”. In an interview with CNBC’s Make It last year, Cuban said that tomorrow’s leaders might be today’s AI-obsessed kids. “Students who use AI will produce better, more creative work and gain a collaborative relationship with technology that’s needed in the future workplace,” he said adding: “Students who use AI will be best equipped to lead.”

Mark Cuban on biggest barrier for students

During the interview, Mark Cuban said that “Access is the biggest barrier” to students being taught how to best use AI tools effectively and ethically at school. According to Samsung’s new Solve for Tomorrow 2025 AI Readiness Study, 80% of US teachers believe that learning AI skills is important for students’ success in the future. However, research shows that educators have expressed concern over misuse of AI tools to cheat, or that the information obtained from AI models will include errors that spread misinformation. But Cuban has asserted that students need to learn to use AI tools properly and productively. He has previously likened the current AI boom to past technological revolutions, particularly the rise of computers and the internet. “Spend as much time as possible familiarizing yourself with the latest AI tools and models, so you can impress future employers with your up-to-date prompt engineering and model customization skills,” an advice that he often gives to students, per a CNBC report. Speaking on an episode of the “TBPN” podcast in 2025, Mark Cuban said”“Every single company needs that. There is nothing intuitive for a company to integrate AI, and that’s what people don’t understand. That is going to be jobs left and right.”