Why Formal Education Lost Playfulness

On this episode of Crazy Wisdom, Stewart Alsop sits down with Guillermo Schulte to explore how AI is reshaping up-skilling, re-skilling, and the future of education through play, from learning games and gamification to emotional intelligence, mental health, and the coming wave of abundance and chaos that technology is accelerating; they also get into synchronous vs. asynchronous learning, human–AI collaboration, and how organizations can use data-driven game experiences for cybersecurity, onboarding, and ongoing training. To learn more about Guillermo’s work, check out TGAcompany.com, as well as TGA Entertainment on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation

Timestamps

00:00 Stewart Alsop opens with Guillermo Schulte on up-skilling, re-skilling, and AI’s accelerating impact on work.
05:00 They explore play-based learning, video games as education, and early childhood engagement through game mechanics.
10:00 Conversation shifts to the overload in modern schooling, why play disappeared, and the challenge of scalable game-based learning.
15:00 Guillermo contrasts synchronous vs asynchronous learning and how mobile access democratizes education.
20:00 They reflect on boredom, creativity, novelty addiction, and how AI reshapes attention and learning.
25:00 Discussion moves to AGI speculation, human discernment, taste, and embodied decision-making.
30:00 They explore unpredictable technological leaps, exponential improvement, and the future of knowledge.
35:00 Abundance, poverty decline, and chaos—both from scarcity and prosperity—and how societies adapt.
40:00 Mental health, emotional well-being, and organizational responsibility become central themes.
45:00 Technical training through games emerges: cybersecurity, Excel, and onboarding with rich data insights.
50:00 Guillermo explains the upcoming platform enabling anyone to create AI-powered learning games and personalized experiences.

Key Insights

1. AI is accelerating the urgency of up-skilling and re-skilling. Guillermo highlights how rapid technological change is transforming every profession, making continuous learning essential for remaining employable and adding value in a world where machines increasingly handle routine tasks.
2. Play is humanity’s native learning tool—and video games unlock it for adults. He explains that humans are wired to learn through play, yet traditional education suppresses this instinct. Learning games reintroduce engagement, emotion, and curiosity, making education more intuitive and scalable.
3. Gamified, asynchronous learning can democratize access. While synchronous interaction is powerful, Guillermo emphasizes that mobile-first, game-based learning allows millions—including those without resources—to gain skills anytime, closing gaps in opportunity and meritocracy.
4. Emotional intelligence will matter more as AI takes over technical tasks. As AI becomes increasingly capable in logic-heavy fields, human strengths like empathy, leadership, creativity, and relationship-building become central to meaningful work and personal fulfillment.
5. Novelty and boredom shape how we learn and think. They discuss how constant novelty can stunt creativity, while boredom creates the mental space for insight. Future learning systems will need to balance stimulation with reflection to avoid cognitive overload.
6. Abundance will bring psychological challenges alongside material benefits. Stewart and Guillermo point out that while AI and robotics may create unprecedented prosperity, they may also destabilize identity and purpose, amplifying the already-growing mental health crisis.
7. AI-powered game creation could redefine education entirely. Guillermo describes TGA’s upcoming platform that lets anyone transform documents into personalized learning games, using player data to adapt difficulty and style—potentially making learning more effective, accessible, and enjoyable than traditional instruction.