If billionaire investor Mark Cuban were starting his career today, he knows exactly where he would be putting all his time and energy, not into risky side hustles or oddball business ideas, but into artificial intelligence.
In a resurfaced video from his talk at SXSW, Mark Cuban made it clear that for Gen Z and aspiring entrepreneurs, AI is not just the future – it is the foundation. “If I were 16, 18, 20, or 21 starting today, I would spend every waking minute learning about AI,” he told the crowd. “Even while I’m sleeping, I would have podcasts playing about AI.”
If I were 16-21, I would spend every waking hour learning AI.” – Mark Cuban at SXSW pic.twitter.com/SOuYVZqzAF
— Alvin Foo (@alvinfoo) July 6, 2025
Cuban, who made his billions from a mix of tech innovation and bold investments, has never shied away from discussing his entrepreneurial missteps, like trying to sell powdered milk early in his career. But today, he sees AI as the most powerful opportunity to reshape business, creativity, and innovation. Simply understanding how to use AI, he said, can open the door to countless ventures from launching your own startup to consulting for others.
What is Cuban’s strategy to learn about AI?
Cuban laid out a strategy he would personally adopt if he were entering the market today, master AI tools like NotebookLM and then introduce them to local small businesses, charging $25 an hour to show them how to boost productivity and cut costs. It is a simple, scalable model and proof of how powerful even basic AI knowledge can be.
“If you are just getting started today, just by going in there and learning it, your mind is just going to go nuts,” he said. “As an entrepreneur, you will find a million different ways you can leverage this to either do something that’s more competitive yourself or to sell it to other companies. While Cuban is bullish on AI, he is also quick to remind people that AI alone won’t make you successful. It is a tool, an amplifier. “AI is never the answer. AI is a tool. Whatever skills you have, you can use AI to amplify them,” he explained. That means the differentiating factor still lies in your attitude, curiosity, and drive.
Who is Mark Cuban?
Mark Cuban is a prominent American entrepreneur, investor, and media personality. Born on July 31, 1958, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he showed an early entrepreneurial spirit, selling garbage bags, coins, and newspapers as a kid to make money. After studying business at Indiana University’s Kelley School, Cuban moved to Dallas and founded MicroSolutions, a systems integration firm he later sold to CompuServe for $6 million.
His big break came in 1995 when he co-founded Audionet, which later became Broadcast.com. The company was acquired by Yahoo! in 1999 for roughly $5.7 billion in stock, catapulting Cuban into billionaire status. Cuban is perhaps best known as the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to an NBA Championship in 2011, and for his role as a billionaire investor on TV’s Shark Tank since 2011. Beyond sports and entertainment, he co-founded Cost Plus Drug Company in 2022, a pharmacy startup aimed at reducing drug prices. With an estimated net worth around $5.7 billion, Cuban is recognized for his bold business moves, outspoken personality, and advocacy for entrepreneurs embracing emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence .
