I recently interviewed Zack Kass for The Weekend University’s podcast.
Zack is an AI strategist, futurist, and former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT).
If anyone would have a good sense for what’s coming with AI—and how best to prepare—it would probably be him.
In our conversation, he shared three counterintuitive insights for anyone interested in thriving in the years ahead.
1.) Learn How to Learn
Because the rate of change is accelerating rapidly, Zack suggests that the future belongs to the adaptable.
People who have the ability to master new skills quickly and effectively.
So if you develop just one capability in the year ahead, focus on learning how to learn. This is a “meta” skill that will set you up to flourish in a rapidly changing world.
A great book on this subject is “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin.
2.) Diversify Your Identity
Most of us have grown up in a culture which has brainwashed us to think that the majority of meaning we’ll experience in our life will come through our work.
This assumption has created a kind of “collective value hierarchy” which places career at the very top, and everything else (family, friendship, community, spirituality/religion, play etc) underneath.
As a result, many of us have over-indexed in this one domain at the expense of other areas.
Zack warns that if work is the primary (and only) source of meaning in life, you are at the highest risk of existential suffering as AI gradually takes over.
His recommendation is to diversify your identity, e.g. by investing in your relationships, rekindling old hobbies, getting involved in community projects, sports teams, etc.
3.) Design for the things that AI Can’t Do
If you are an entrepreneur and want to stay relevant in the years ahead, the most important question to ask is:
What will AI not be able to do?
And then to optimise for that.
As we become increasingly technological and disconnected as a society, this is likely to create a surge in demand for services and experiences that provide authentic human connection.
In my own case, I’ve shifted my business model this year from being entirely online to offering nature immersions for leaders and entrepreneurs, starting with a Camino de Santiago this October.
So, in conclusion, a few questions to think about…
1.) How can you invest in your ability to learn new skills more effectively?
2.) What can you do to diversify your identity?
3.) If you are an entrepreneur or creator, how can you design for the things that AI can’t do?
