Kiara Nirghin, a 24‑year‑old Stanford computer‑science alum and CTO of applied AI lab Chima, told Fortune that younger cohorts view AI not as a shortcut but as a native language — a stance she calls 'AI fluency.' Speaking at Fortune Brainstorm AI, Nirghin said that Gen Z uses agents to offload menial tasks and thereby probe problems more deeply, while also grappling with 'AI anxiety' as models change rapidly. For academic programs and faculty, her remarks suggest a need to rethink assessment, curriculum design, and academic‑integrity policies to account for students who use AI as an embedded collaborator rather than a mere tool.