The ever-growing evidence suggests that excessive reliance on AI may erode the human skills needed to effectively use it. Research warns of opportunities for economic growth as this new human skills deficit threatens the success of AI adoption.
It feels like a day won’t pass without another declaration of how AI will change our world. Every business leader I talk about is worried that they are investing in AI and planning to invest or are left behind. We see big numbers like Accenture’s forecast that AI can inject £736 billion into the UK economy. Hype seems deafening.
But amid all this noise, a quieter and worrying anti-narrative is beginning to take shape. I’ve seen it in reports from places like MIT. The nagging sense of being so leaning too far towards AI tools may not make us sharp.
New findings published by learning scientists at Multiverse put your fingers exactly on what’s at the crisis. Their reports suggest that our singular obsession with AI itself, the most important part of the equation, is neglected.
The warning is that this multi-million pound investment in AI is not just lurking without actively cultivating our own human skills. It could completely fail. We risk creating a human skill deficit that could hit productivity for years to come.
“We’ve been working hard to get the better of our customers,” said Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse. “Leaders spend millions on AI tools, but the investment focus is never successful. They think when it’s really a human and technology issue, it’s a technology issue.
“Without intentionally focusing on analytical reasoning, creativity, culture and behavioral capabilities, AI projects never reach their potential.”
That’s the point of resonance. We’ve all seen generative AI generate blocks of text or code in seconds. But what happens next? That’s the real beginning of work, and it’s a job that demands human talent.
Multiverse team spent time observing what distinguished casual AI users from true “power users.” They identified 13 important skills that have nothing to do with writing the perfect prompt and not related to thinking, reasoning and reflection. It’s not just what you ask AI to do, but how you analyze, question and refine it.
Take analytical reasoning. It is human skills to look at complex problems and break them down into pieces that AI can handle, but it is also wisdom to recognize them when tasks are simply not suitable for the machine. It’s not just a passenger, but a pilot.
Similarly, creativity encourages you to experiment and find truly new ways to use these tools, rather than seeking a slightly better version of what already exists.
There are also personal personality traits. It requires skills like determination (i.e., very patience to keep trying when AI gives you trash) and adaptability. Anyone who has used these tools knows that first-time success is rare. Beyond AI’s answers, fact-checking the work with your own expertise requires a certain resilience and deep curiosity.
Imogen Stanley, senior learning scientist at Multiverse, commented:
“What we found during the first principle research phase was that skills such as ethical surveillance, output verification, and creative experimentation are the true differentiators of AI users.”
This feels like the heart of the problem. Are we training people to be passive users or active drivers? Nowadays, conversation is dominated by technology. However, true competitive advantages don’t come from having the best AI models. It will come from having people who know how to make the most of it.
The future is to cultivate our own human skills and intelligence, just as we are developing artificial kinds. Otherwise, you risk building a future where you have all the answers, but forget how to ask the right questions.
(Photo: Maxim Berg)
reference: Zuckerberg outlines the AI vision for Meta’s “personal super intelligence”
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