How a 14 Year Old Student is Building with AI at Alpha School
How I AI
Intro
Brooke introduces the How I AI podcast and guest Ali Romman, previewing topics about AI in schools and Ali's PC chatbot project.
I sat down with Ali Romman, a 14-year-old freshman at Alpha School in Austin who’s already using AI like a co-founder. He’s vibe coding an MVP in public and building an AI-powered tool that helps people design and buy the right gaming PC, even if they know nothing about computers.
This conversation is a real look at what kids are facing right now: AI in schools, cheating vs learning, what guardrails actually work, and why the new “gap” isn’t access to tools, it’s curiosity, initiative, and how fast you can learn.
Topics we cover:
- AI isn’t “coming”, it’s already in the classroom: what that actually looks like day-to-day
- Cheating vs learning: where Ali draws the line and why boundaries matter
- College and how AI is changing the value of traditional education
- Vibe coding a real MVP: how Ali’s building a PC configurator + chatbot
- Building in public at 14: confidence, pressure, and learning at startup speed
- Fail fast mindset: getting beta testers and feedback instead of guessing forever
Tools, Platforms, and References Mentioned:
- ChatGPT, Gemini 3 Pro, Claude 4.5 Opus
- Alpha School (https://alpha.school/)
- Cline (VS Code extension) (https://cline.bot/)
- Cursor
- “Fail Fast, Fail Often” (book) (https://www.amazon.com/Fail-Fast-Often-Losing-Help/dp/0399166254)
Who this episode is for:
- Founders and builders who want a glimpse of what the next generation is actually doing with AI
- Parents trying to navigate “should my kid use AI?” (spoiler: they already are)
- Educators and school leaders thinking about ethical AI policies and real guardrails
- Anyone who needs proof that you don’t need permission, credentials, or a CS degree to build now
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More About Brooke:
Website: brookex.com
LinkedIn: Brooke Gramer
More About the Podcast:
Instagram: howiai.podcast
Website: howiaipodcast.com
"How I AI" is a concept and podcast series created and produced by Brooke Gramer of EmpowerFlow Strategies LLC. All rights reserved.
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