Key Messages
Leveraging Human Skills In An Ai World: 4 Natural Talents To Help You Stay Relevant
AI has been continuously evolving in the workplace and is proving to be an asset at getting things done quickly and efficiently.
But with AI taking over tasks and roles that humans have traditionally filled, it can cause some uncertainty as to how we should position ourselves in this ever-changing landscape.
Luckily, though the Human Edge book provides a valuable insight into how to become an asset in an AI-filled workplace by honing in on our natural skills.
Gifted to us through evolution, these four skills – creativity, collaboration, communication and learning – can help us build our value both as professionals and individuals.
Furthermore, Benjamin Franklin’s tool of carving out just one hour a day for self-development could go leaps and bounds towards ensuring that you’re on top of your game when it comes to the world of automation.
Similarly, seeking out random encounters can open up many opportunities that could potentially keep your competitive edge sharp, even in an era of continuing AI innovation.
The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence: How It Will Impact Our Jobs And What We Can Do To Prepare
The age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is upon us, and it’s changing the nature of work.
Today, thanks to advanced technology, AI can match or even outshine humans in many mental tasks and roles.
In fact, it can take on routine tasks such as customer care agents and self-driving cars that may soon make human taxi and truck drivers obsolete.
AI can also filter through job applications, analyze blood and bone marrow for diseases, or provide smarter customer service with chatbots.
This means that many new hires won’t actually need a desk in the office, just a bit of digital real estate in the cloud.
What’s more worrying is the fact that experts predict that between 14-47 percent of jobs may be taken over by AI within the next 15 years!
But don’t let this figure discourage; there are still ways to future-proof your career.
As AI advances at an incredible speed, no computer program will ever replace human intelligence entirely.
Humans Still Have An Edge Over Ai Due To 4 Fundamental Attributes: Creativity, Curiosity, Consciousness, And Collaboration
Despite the astounding capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it can’t replicate our uniquely human traits – which is why the author of The Human Edge highlights them as a way to set yourself apart.
These unique traits are what the author calls the 4Cs: Creativity, Curiosity, Consciousness, and Collaboration.
AI machines may be able to complete specific tasks quickly and efficiently; but they’re limited by their programming and don’t have the same breadth of knowledge that humans possess.
Because of this, AI’s “spark” or “X factor” will continue to be missing until machines gain consciousness – something that we’re far from achieving at present.
Humans have evolved incredible skills over time, such as creativity for solving complex problems, curiosity for exploring unknowns, consciousness for considering consequences on a deeper level and collaboration for working with others.
And even if AI does become faster and smarter than us all one day in the future; those qualities will still remain exclusively with us humans!
The Forgotten Superpower: How To Reclaim Your Natural Creativity And Find Success In The Age Of Ai
It has become increasingly clear that in the age of Artificial Intelligence, creativity is a vital human superpower.
Unfortunately, it’s something we’re not always encouraged to develop and embrace.
Research from American psychologist George Land found that creativity declines as people grow older.
When he looked at the creativity levels of 1,600 children, he discovered that over half had genius-level creativity when they were five years old.
That number dropped significantly when they were tested again at ten and fifteen years old, showing just how quickly this valuable skill can be inhibited.
Educational systems often favor analytical thinking instead of creative exploration – and teachers tend to discourage traits such as questioning or disagreements in class as disruptive.
On top of this, there are many misguided assumptions around creativity in society which prevent many people from exploring their own ideas.
For example, common myths suggest only certain people can be creative or that “a-ha moments” require no preparataion when in reality anyone can nurture their creative thinking with practice and patience!
Creativity is becoming more valued in the workforce than ever before with eight out of ten people globally believing it’s essential for economic growth and studies consistently ranking it as one of the most important skills for the future.
Ultimately, no matter its suppression over time, everyone still retains their inherent ability to be creative – now more than ever!
Maximising Your Potential Through Curiosity And Learning
We learned in the previous section that creativity is a vital skill to have in order to remain competitive in the modern workforce.
As important as it is, it can be difficult to rebuild creativity when it’s been lost.
The key to doing so is developing curiosity first.
Curiosity gives us access to knowledge, which allows us to stay relevant and develop interesting ideas.
This isn’t something AI machines can do, making it one of the greatest advantages that we humans have over technology.
With life expectancy now reaching an average of 100 years in developed countries, gaining new skills and knowledge becomes even more important if we want to stay ahead of technology and make use of a 60-year long working life.
The best way to maximize on this curiosity is by learning both wide-ranging and focused topics.
By acquiring knowledge from multiple domains, you can make insightful connections between them and come up with creative solutions like great minds such as Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs did.
To gain this knowledge, aim for dedicating at least one hour each day for learning – just like Benjamin Franklin committed himself too during his lifetime.
How Questions Help Us Unlock Our Creativity And Generate Bright Ideas
One of the most important things you can do to help develop novel and creative ideas is to ask the right questions.
The truth is, anyone can ask questions, but finding the correct ones takes a lot more effort – something that sets the truly creative people apart from others.
This was a lesson discovered in a study conducted by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
He challenged 31 art students to arrange a few objects and sketch what they created.
Those who chose their objects quickly and devoted most of their time drawing had less success than those who took time finding the right questions first.
Six years later, it was seen that only those who took this extra step became successful artists.
Asking the right questions often helps uncover potential solutions, or even change outdated ones altogether.
This is something employed by organizations such as IDEO, which uses “How Might We?” inquiries that encourage varied answers.
Another technique used by Toyota is simply asking “why” five times to get to the root of any issue.
So if you’re looking for ways to bring your brilliant ideas to life, start practicing asking smart questions – not just settling for ad-hoc clarification – as it could propel you down a path leading to success and innovation!
Make Creative Ideas Flow By Being More Attentive, Getting Away And Having A Good Sleep
The Human Edge explores the idea that a change in habits and perspectives will jumpstart your creative ideas and ensure they keep flowing.
It’s something all of us, whether we’re trying to write, compose or just solve day-to-day problems, have to be aware of.
One way to break through creative blocks is by being more attentive.
Scientists Louis Pasteur once said that “Chance favors the prepared mind,” so as you go about your day, it pays to really take a minute to think about every little thing that pops up unexpectedly – because these unexpectancies are often the catalyst for great ideas.
Take Percy Spencer for example; he was testing a radar machine when he noticed that his candy bar had melted – this simple moment led him to realise microwaves could be used to cook food!
You can also use physical environments as tools for unlocking your creativity.
People who have been exposed to different cultures score highly on creativity tests – so even if you stay close to home and explore new neighbourhoods or find a new route to work, it could open up entirely new ways of thinking
In addition, getting plenty of rest is key in aiding creativity.
When we fall into deep sleep our brains become infinitely flexible!
A Harvard University study found participants were 33% more creative after napping (making it an invaluable resource!).
Ultimately, if you commit yourself to changing habits and perspectives you’ll kickstart your creativity – ensuring idea after idea continues coming your way!
Regaining Focus In An Age Of Constant Distraction
The Human Edge book explores the idea that by mindfully managing our technology use, we can reclaim our time and focus.
It is backed up by data showing that in the United Kingdom, people check their phones every two minutes and spend an average of 24 hours a week online.
This kind of constant connectivity steals our attention away from more important things, like learning new subjects or coming up with creative solutions.
So how do we become more focused? The answer lies in making conscious decisions about how to manage your technology use – instead of responding to emails and messages as they come up, dedicate specific windows of time for it.
We can also designate spaces where we will not be disturbed so that we can focus on learning and creativity.
Making an effort towards mindfulness practices – such as meditation or yoga – will also help us reign in wandering thoughts and develop better focusing skills.
These strategies are key if we want to reclaim our attention in this technological age in order to take advantage of the opportunities that AI gives us!
Collaboration Is Key To Innovation, But Knowing When To Work Alone Is Just As Important
Collaboration is essential to innovation, but when and how you do it can make a big difference.
As Benjamin Franklin and Leoanrdo da Vinci both knew, teams of curious, creative, and conscious minds are more likely to come up with stellar ideas than a single individual.
However, there are times when working alone is best.
To make the most of collaboration, you must be mindful of when it’s the right approach and when it won’t work best.
Building a strong network of collaborators is also important if you want access to new perspectives, information or connections outside your strong relationships with family and friends.
These are called “weak ties” which can offer invaluable insight into potential solutions for any given problem.
You can create weak ties by getting out of your comfort zone and talking to new people — whether that means changing routes on your way home or taking a break in different coffee shops or restaurants than normal.
Before reaching out though, carefully evaluate why an outside perspective may be required and what unique qualities your collaborators can bring to the table before inviting them onboard an idea.
More often than not they may add just enough perspective without making the idea their own!
Wrap Up
The Human Edge by Max McKeown highlights the importance of staying ahead of the curve in the digital world.
We can’t compete against machines in terms of routine tasks, so we need to focus on developing our skills and abilities to find interesting problems and solutions instead.
At its core, The Human Edge emphasizes on looking for meaning in our work.
Doing so will help us become more motivated, creative and determined.
It also encourages us to focus on what we’re most passionate about, as that is what gives us a sense of purpose and value.
If we take these tips into account, there’s no doubt that we can thrive in this competitive market!
