In an interview with American media CNBC, Aparna Nair, Chief Talent Officer of IBM, pointed out that for newcomers in the workplace, merely using AI is no longer sufficient. They also need to strengthen two key abilities: “critical thinking” and “judgment”. Employers now place more emphasis on whether employees can assess the reliability of AI’s answers, raise questions when necessary, and make correct judgments.
Nair mentioned that although AI is changing the way people work and even replacing some entry-level positions, there are still jobs that only humans can handle. She advised that newcomers in the workforce at this stage “must focus on cultivating critical thinking and judgment” and “double down” on these two abilities.
“People used to personally complete tasks and gradually develop judgment; however, now, these tasks are not done by humans but by AI,” she pointed out. Nowadays, people need to “validate the information provided by AI” and cultivate their own judgment.
In September of this year, IBM released a global survey, interviewing 1,500 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and 8,800 employees, which found that about 57% of CHROs believe that critical thinking is an important skill in the AI era. The proportion of employees holding the same view is 49%.
48% of CHROs believe that the AI era requires the ability to “make judgments in uncertain situations”; only 29% of employees share the same view.
It is worth noting that about three-quarters of the employees surveyed believe that AI has begun to weaken some of their abilities, with critical thinking being the most commonly mentioned. However, 57% of corporate executives believe that this ability is key to achieving job success.
Bonnie Dilber, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Zapier, suggested that to demonstrate these skills to potential employers, one can post on LinkedIn, sharing their views on industry issues to showcase critical thinking about work.
She mentioned that during interviews or home assignments, one can explain which tasks should be done independently and which are suitable for AI, and why such choices are made, thereby showcasing their critical thinking and judgment. Additionally, thinking in another language, actively asking questions, anticipating possible future scenarios, or observing decision-makers’ thinking styles can all enhance these abilities.
“What employees really need to do is to first accumulate knowledge and professional skills, form their own viewpoints, and then seek help from AI. Professional skills are developed through repeated practical experiences.”
She added that even though certain technical skills may no longer be as in demand in the future, the ability to think critically and judge the authenticity of information will continue to be valued, helping professionals in the workplace to continually build up their expertise.