5 tips on how young people can prepare to succeed in the Age of AI
I got a lot of notes from people who read my post on how AI is an advantage for senior, experienced employees. Many asked me what I thought the keys to success for younger employees are. I’ve taught undergrads for 24 years at McMaser University in our communication studies program. This tips were pretty much the same ones I would have suggested pre-AI, but I think they are doubly important during the Age of AI and Automation - human experience, wisdom, deep knowledge will be more useful as you steer AI tools to help you shape and form ideas, text, images, numbers into forms that are valuable and beautiful.
Here are my top five tips on what young people need to succeed in the emerging Age of AI and Automation:
Read widely and deeply. We are constantly distracted by quick and addictive stimuli on social media. This makes you not want to read. Successful young people will be those who took time to read. My suggestion - read physical books, if possible. Read classic fiction, books on art and design, philosophy, economics, history and religion - you gain experience and wisdom from reading the stories, thoughts and ideas of those who came before us. Don’t waste your time on faddish nonsense and mere entertainments - these are vanities that only waste your precious time - your life is short. Having a depth of experience through deep reading of serious subjects will give you the depth of character and judgment to use AI agents to achieve things in the business world or in the public service. Use a paper notebook and pen to write your thoughts down as you read - it will improve your retention.
Study something practical and take it seriously. As a young person, don’t study things that teach you to be a critic - there is lots of time to be critical after you have learned how something actually works (e.g., commerce, technology, culture, economics, science). Rather, study how things work and function. Whatever you study, take it seriously by reading deeply and giving the subject the time it needs. Learn how to build something, whether it is an idea, a model, a system, a real object, a work of art, or a business. People capable of deep thoughts will be the builders in the AI era, even if you are young because individuals will be able to deploy AI strategically and insightfully to build amazing things. Avoid studying ideological or activist subjects — jumping on such intellectual bandwagons means giving up your agency to the person orchestrating the movement or leading the activist agenda. Always retain your agency, if possible — this is key in an era of robot influencers and mass manipulation through AI. Knowing how things work and how to build things hardens your agency.
Live a simple, physical life, connected with nature. You would be surprised that some of the most technical people I know also lead very simple, non-materialistic lives steeped in nature: in the forest, desert, mountains or on the water. Learn how to grow plants and identify flora and fauna. Learn how to cook and preserve food. Learn how to camp and survive in nature. The maturity and serenity given to you by a simple, self-sufficient life in nature will keep you grounded. The digital world seethes with vanity, fleeting images and ideas. Having a simple life, deeply connected to nature will make you a grounded person. People trust grounded people. People want to have grounded people around in the workplace. Nature is complex — it teaches your brain how to move between complexity and simplicity and is the warehouse of almost every metaphor we use to think and be in the world.
Understand technology and data; but don’t be mesmerized by it. Practice using and creating AI tools. Become data literate, and understand the fundamentals of psychology, coding, logic and statistics. This knowledge and experience will give you independence because you will know how the technology works that makes the AI world turn. You don’t have to be an engineer or a data scientist. Know how the technologies and techniques of the AI Age work — this will make you a valuable strategic thinker who can deploy AI in a broad range of circumstances. However — don’t become entranced by its seeming magic. Always remember that tech is a tool, regardless of the amazing or immersive experiences or functions it offers you.
Build lasting relationships with mentors, advisors and allies. Having trusted mentors who can guide you, advisors who can poke holes in your ideas and allies who will mobilize for you is important in the Age of AI, where cleverness, strategic thinking and trust between humans will be key. The more we can automate the most robotic elements of work and society, the more we will value fundamental human qualities like loyalty, honour and love. Your mentors will protect you. Advisors will guide you. Allies will stand by you. You will only have a handful of mentors in your life - choose wisely. You will have many advisors - make certain they know what they are talking about and understand all the aspects of your career. You should have a large number of allies who can help you in a broad range of areas (i.e., AI, data, business, culture, society, religion) and whom you can mobilize in your time of need. Over all, keep all of these relationships warm with periodic check-ins - these can be a little text message saying hello or a friendly email. Don’t neglect your mentors, advisors and allies - they may save your career one day.
I will blog further about this in the future. I have more to say about it than I originally thought.