CEO of a famous corporation reveals the most important skill to beat AI

In a recent interview with CNBC (USA), Mr. Matt Garman commented that employers will increasingly prioritize candidates with creative and flexible adaptability, in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) being increasingly integrated into the working environment.

His advice to his son - a high school student - is to develop good critical thinking skills, no matter what field of study he pursues.

“In my opinion, the most important thing in the university process is to practice thinking, especially critical thinking. In fact, I think critical thinking is the most important skill for a young person to go far,” Mr. Garman emphasized.

In addition, you need to have creative thinking and adaptability. This allows you to learn new things and flexibly adapt to rapidly changing living conditions. These skills are just as important as professional skills."

According to Mr. Garman, critical thinking will gradually become the decisive factor for success for most people in the AI era.

The number of jobs that AI can replace is growing rapidly. Amazon, the tech company where Mr Garman works, is among several companies that are planning to cut staff after testing a variety of AI tools.

However, the tests also show that AI still cannot completely replace human intelligence. For example, AI cannot use critical and creative thinking to come up with new ideas, nor can it effectively evaluate and handle complex situations.

Sharing the same view with Mr. Garman, Mr. Sam Altman - CEO of artificial intelligence company OpenAI - also emphasized in a conference organized by Howard University (USA) in 2024 that critical thinking and creativity are the most valuable skills in the future.

In general, the "big guys" in the technology field all see thinking skills and adaptability as the key and most valuable factors for workers in the AI era. Because in the future, workers will mainly be assigned the task of evaluating and correcting the work results performed by AI.

“AI can come up with a lot of great ideas, but it still takes humans to decide what we really need,” Mr. Altman once said.

Students can hone critical thinking during their studies, while working adults can practice by asking more questions.

In addition to critical thinking and creativity, Mr. Garman also emphasized two particularly important soft skills: the ability to adapt to new technology, especially AI technology, and the ability to communicate effectively with those around them.

Communication is where humans excel over AI, especially in picking up on cues, demonstrating empathy, emotional intelligence, active listening, and giving thoughtful feedback.

“These skills have always been important and will be even more important in the future,” said Garman.

According to a report by LinkedIn - a global professional networking service provider - employers are increasingly looking for candidates with the ability to adapt quickly to keep up with rapid changes in technology.

AI can handle many tasks, but most customers still want to communicate directly with humans, to receive advice and care from... humans. Mr. Garman commented: "Human communication skills and behavioral style will continue to play a key role for a long time. These are things that AI cannot replace."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/ceo-tap-doan-danh-tieng-tiet-lo-ky-nang-quan-trong-nhat-de-thang-ai-20250816095624436.htm