AI + The New Human Frontier

CHAPTER 18A Resurgence of the Humanities

According to a 2023 report by Salesforce, 84 percent of global workers consider skills-based experience more valuable than a degree when trying to land a job in today's market. However, a divide exists between the skills companies are hiring for and those currently being used by the workforce. Only 1 in 10 workers say their day-to-day role currently involves the use of AI, despite its importance to their future skill set. One potential idea to help bridge this gap: upskilling. Almost all (97 percent) workers globally think businesses should prioritize AI skills in their employee development strategy. Data security skills (60 percent), ethical AI and automation skills (58 percent), and programming skills (57 percent) were other skill sets identified as being important to the future of the workplace. When asked about which soft skills will likely be more important, respondents ranked creative imaginative skills (56 percent), customer relationship skills (53 percent), and leadership skills (51 percent) the highest.¹

According to Northeastern University president Joseph Aoun, who wrote Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, future-proofing is less about picking a safe job and more about continuously modernizing your skills throughout your career. He says education needs to change monumentally if workers are to adapt to this new environment. His solution is humanics.² There is currently a profusion of interest ...