Getting right skills for the Future of Life

There are lots of interesting discussions going on about the future of learning. What most experts seem to agree with is that the need for lifelong learning and acquiring new skills is our new reality. The World Economic Forum recently published a whitepaper on reskilling for the future. It discusses the growing skill mismatch and the need for laying a common foundation for strategic and coordinated action for reskilling of the workforce.

There is one issue that bothers me in most discussions about skills of the future out there, however. Almost all of them focus on preparing us for the future of work and for keeping up with AI developments. But is our future really about work only? Is working alongside AI our only challenge?

The question that I am interested in goes beyond skills for the future of work: what are the skills for the future of life?

Skills for the future of less/no work

Experts predict that by 2029 we will have a smartphone that will have the intelligence of the smartest human being in it. By 2045 AI will be smarter than the whole humanity. Whether these predictions are spot on or far fetched, it is clear that near future will make a big part of existing professions obsolete. The other will undergo a drastic transformation. So it is possible that the developments of next decades will result in the future of less work or the end of work as we know it.

Here is the problem. Most of us are defined by what we do, where we work and what we are experts in. Take it away, and people wouldn’t know who they are and what to do with their time. This means we will need to find different ways to make our lives meaningful and embrace idleness.

In one of my previous posts, I wrote about the need to develop skills for the future of less work. The answer to dealing with it, to my mind, lies in redefining what ‘work’ and ‘career’ mean. It is also about the development of such skills as mindfulness and load management, as well as focusing on two important aspects I will be talking about next.

Skills for solving wicked problems.

We have thousands of wicked problems out there in almost every aspect of our lives. From the global challenges like climate change, pollution, inequality, poverty, military conflicts to local issues like safety, education, integration and many others. How well we address these challenges will define how our future is going to look like.

Solving them requires millions of minds working both together and separately and coming up with millions of solutions. In many cases not as a part of their ‘regular jobs’. This asks for many different skills and abilities: from collaboration, creativity, imagination, cross industry innovation and community building skills to empathy, critical thinking, the ability to call bullshit and create knowledge.

Skills for being worthy human beings

I can imagine some of you now think: ‘Do we really need to learn skills to become better humans?’. If AI is going to be smarter than all of us in just a few decades; if it can support us in pursuing a life where we can do what we want to do; I think the question we should be asking is what do we need to learn to excel in roles that give meaning to our lives? How do we become better parents, more attentive partners, engaged friends, helpful neighbours and responsible citizens? It starts with the ability to listen, genuine curiosity, dealing with our insecurities and anxieties, learning to be humble, and building our social and emotional intelligence.

There are roles that AI can’t take over, so we have a chance to excel in being human. As Livia Gershon wrote: “The jobs of the future could be opportunities for people to genuinely care for each other.”

For my book ‘Upskilling for the Future’, I am looking into what are the skills for the future of life. What skills do we need to face how the 4th Industrial revolution reshapes our lives and work? Which skills do we need to be able to address hundreds of urgent challenges? And which skills do we need to excel in being human? I invite you to take part in the discussion and share your thoughts on the subject. What do YOU think are the skills for the future of life?

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