Many of us learned design in a world before AI-assisted workflows, vibe coding, and increasingly AI-native products. As these changes reshape the industry, an uncomfortable question emerges: are we still preparing the next generation of designers for the future they will actually work in?

In this roundtable, we'll discuss how AI is changing the expectations we place on junior designers and what that means for education, portfolios, hiring, and mentorship. Which skills matter more than ever? Which assumptions should we challenge? What should we stop teaching, and what should we double down on? Rather than looking for definitive answers, this session aims to bring together designers and design leaders to exchange experiences, question long-held beliefs, and explore how we can help the next generation thrive in an AI-shaped world.