Tech Explained: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teams Up with Mark Cuban and Emma Grede to Host AI in Action Lab for Hundreds of New York City Students in Simple Terms

Corporate

As AI becomes essential from classroom to career, Samsung aims to connect the next generation with the skills and confidence to engage with emerging technology

2/26/2026

Samsung Electronics America, along with entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Emma Grede, hosted the first-ever Samsung Solve for Tomorrow: AI in Action Lab in New York City, bringing together hundreds of students for a hands-on experience designed to turn curiosity about AI into real-world opportunity. Students from A. Philip Randolph Campus High School received education and career advice from Mark Cuban, Emma Grede and Samsung executives, and engaged in an immersive AI in Action Lab co-led by the Mark Cuban Foundation that encouraged students to confidently engage with emerging AI tools and Samsung technology.

In a world being transformed by AI, the gap between those who understand AI and those who don’t is only widening. Youth who learn how to harness AI creatively will have an undeniable edge in today’s classrooms and in the workplace of the future. The AI in Action Lab builds on Samsung’s commitment to responsible innovation and reflects the company’s belief that access to technology is access to opportunity. As part of Samsung’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative, Solve for Tomorrow, the event underscores the company’s goal to help close the education and opportunity gap by expanding access to STEM learning, mentorship and real-world problem-solving experiences for students in grades 6–12.

For more than a decade, Solve for Tomorrow has empowered public school students to use STEM to address challenges in their local communities — fostering creativity, collaboration and civic leadership. The AI in Action Lab extends that mission into the era of artificial intelligence, reinforcing Samsung’s global vision of “AI for All” — a future where AI is accessible, inclusive and designed to improve lives across communities.

“AI is reshaping the world around us and we understand that both students and teachers are being impacted the most. That’s why we’ve partnered with visionaries like Mark Cuban and Emma Grede, to equip the education community with the tools and skills they need to succeed so no one is left behind,” said Allison Stransky, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics America.

Recent Samsung research highlights the urgency of this work, noting that while 88% of teachers¹ recognize AI’s critical role in students’ future careers, more than half report lacking formal AI training. Beyond experiences like the AI in Action Lab, Samsung and the Mark Cuban Foundation will continue to harness joint leadership and provide additional free AI training resources to teachers nationwide.

When speaking to high school students on the importance of learning and leveraging new technology, Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, noted, “I can’t stress enough the importance of curiosity. Never before in history has a kid been able to ask a question and then start a business or master a new topic. There’s nothing you can’t learn if you have a device and the right mindset. Technology and AI will continue to evolve. And if you’re curious, you’ll keep up.”

During the event, Mark Cuban and Emma Grede shared their perspectives on how emerging technologies have impacted the future of work and why they believe young leaders should be proactive and curious about AI – especially in the classroom. The conversation followed with a hands-on, interactive AI Lab designed to expose students to safe, appropriate ways to use AI in school and in life.

Announced last fall, Mark Cuban and Emma Grede are the first official Ambassadors for Solve for Tomorrow and share Samsung’s belief that technology can be used as a force for good among students, educators and next gen leaders. Grede also urged students to embrace AI responsibly, as a tool to accelerate their innovation.

“With the introduction of AI, creativity becomes a superpower,” Emma Grede, Founder, Serial Entrepreneur, Author and Host of the Aspire with Emma Grede Podcast, told students. “In my business, you use AI to sit on top of all of the great ideas you have. AI is never going to replace creativity and incredible ideas, but it can lift them up and make them better and more relevant to the audience you’re trying to reach.”