"The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways."
—Robert Greene
The future is already here. Demands of the labor market have changed even faster after the pandemic. Industries and work patterns are changing. Technology is replacing jobs. What some of us expect is the total eradication of human jobs by AI. But what we'll probably get is full cooperation between humans and AI. Robots will complete us. They will be the bridge between us and the fulfillment we've been looking for all along. Jobs will be gone, and new jobs will emerge. It is not a question of humans OR robots. It's humans AND robots.
So, as technology is advancing, new skills are in demand. Here are three vital skills workers will need to adapt to the changing working environment:
Creativity – humans are still the only beings that can envision the future out of nothing. We use our imagination to create mental models of things to come. AI is still at the phase when it can run different scenarios better than humans but only using a predetermined set of parameters. On the other hand, our brains can connect many dots, cross-pollinate ideas from various fields and find creative solutions. Thus, creativity and creative-thinking techniques will be in high demand in the job market of the future.
Critical Thinking – it is expected the number of connected devices to reach 200 billion by 2030. We will experience a constant flow of information, where the truth authorities won't be the media or the public administrations. The truth will be universally born from the collective work of all users. Trust will be a collective responsibility. In this data sea, knowing how to filter, triage information, and do it well is becoming a vital skill, as are skills like making decisions and making them fast and reliable.
Lifelong learning – knowledge is everywhere now. Once, it was a prerogative of the upper class. Today it's widely available. To constantly generate innovation and be an effective problem-solver, one must commit to a never-ending learning cycle. To continually educate ourselves means to future-proof ourselves to the ever-evolving market.
Technology changing the world is nothing new. The only difference this time around is that it's not going only to serve humanity. It is going to coexist with us. So, creativity is our weapon for the future. As Kevin Kelly wrote in his book "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future": "This is not a race against the machines. If we race against them, we lose. This is a race with the machines. You'll be paid in the future based on how well you work with robots."
So, the future belongs to those who combine the human ability to think creatively and the immense powers of AI.
Photo: liuzishan