Investor Peter Thiel has put forward a compelling perspective on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on future professional skills.
He argues that AI excels at technical skills: mathematics, computation, programming, integrating various facts, winning at intellectual games, and other achievements of intellectuals.
What AI cannot do, however, is what humans excel at: skills such as creativity, wisdom, and good judgment. Employees possessing these skills can differentiate themselves from AI.
Thiel particularly emphasizes the oral skill of erudition. Erudition is the ability to think clearly and speak convincingly in front of others to express oneself spontaneously in a persuasive manner. Even now, especially now, this is an irreplaceable skill, more valuable than ever before.
In other words: AI cannot and will not be eloquent.
Think of individuals like Jordan Peterson, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, renowned Canadian-American experimental psychologist Steven Pinker, evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein, or from a different perspective, individuals like Rachel Maddow, a host and liberal political commentator on American TV news, among others. Another example is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., with his remarkable memory, who can speak endlessly for hours, captivating the audience.
What do they have in common? They can articulate their views with extensive knowledge, confidence, clear expression, firm beliefs, and broad knowledge in a compelling manner. They successfully display humanity, authenticity, and considerable intelligence, engaging people’s interest and identification.
These skills are beyond the reach of machines. In a world dominated by artificial intelligence, these skills should be sought, honed, and perfected by everyone as they are indispensable paths to professional success.
I often think, if I were a professor, how should I conduct assessments in today’s universities. Though it would consume a lot of time, I would take the following measures. I would bring each student into a room, quiz them on the course material, and conduct an oral exam. While they speak, I would delve into details, ask follow-up questions repeatedly, observing how they respond.
Artificial intelligence simply cannot pass this test. An oral exam provides a way to measure mastery. Yes, judgment and grading may become more subjective, but perhaps having another invigilator or professor present can address that. Nevertheless, it’s a perfect way to gauge the true level of students. Merely preparing for such exams can inspire students to develop in different directions. Drugs would be of no help, and cheating would be out of the question. If students reach this level in each subject, they’ll cultivate skills that will benefit them for life.
How to prepare for this? In other words, how does one become erudite? The most crucial step is to eliminate verbal crutches. Anyway, this is the first step.
I couldn’t be clearer: if you frequently use phrases like “like” in your language, nobody will take you seriously. It has become a significant pitfall in modern discourse. Personally, it drives me crazy, feeling like nails on a chalkboard, excruciating and ubiquitous. People who speak this way, regardless of content, come across as ignorant and lacking in confidence.
I’m not the only one who has observed this. Essayist Tevi Troy wrote in The Wall Street Journal:
“If you are a college graduate looking for a job, here’s a suggestion: keep track of your usage of ‘like,’ a simple protocol I devised. Before interviewing potential employees, I place a piece of paper in front of them. Then, whenever the interviewee uses ‘like,’ I make a mark on it. If there are too many instances, I consider the next candidate. If the use of ‘like’ is within an acceptable range, they stay on the list of candidates. When it comes down to two finalists, the one with the fewest ‘likes’ wins the tiebreaker. … To the class of 2024: mind your language during job interviews, your phrasing might be scrutinized carefully by the interviewer.”
He further points out that McKinsey & Co also employs a similar strategy, a move I don’t doubt would have significant impact. You can learn self-restraint to avoid using this word. Each time you use it, make a mental note or have a friend help you and track every infraction on paper; within a day or two, the issue will fade away.
The key to speaking is to be concise, to consider briefly what you want to say before speaking, and to avoid being verbose, such as saying, “This is an interesting point, you know, when I consider this, I would say…” All unnecessary words make you sound indecisive, ultimately, rather foolish.
There are other common verbal crutches, which I sometimes use and ridding oneself of them is an ongoing battle: “you know,” “uh-huh,” “the thing is,” etc. Ideally, these words should not be uttered, leaving only the content you wish to express. Additionally, do not engage in meaningless jargon during management discussions at the company; they serve to confuse, not communicate, and are simply dreadful.
So, how can one say meaningful things? The method is as follows:
1. Read widely and extensively,
2. Understand history,
3. Grasp the best ideas of the greatest thinkers,
4. To know what you know and what you do not know,
5. Express oneself honestly and sincerely, without exaggeration.
This applies to all professions. Erudition is key, especially in the future.
The goal, of course, is to communicate convincingly, which can take various forms but always requires careful observation of language and interaction with others.
Now, I’m about to propose a viewpoint that may seem absurd to you, but please hear me out. In my view, Donald Trump is a master of certain human skills, including talents in communication. In fact, he might be among the very best. This is not erudition, but achieves similar results.
Note that he does not use common verbal crutches, he does not use a word like “like,” or a phrase like “you know.” He speaks plainly, decisively, with wisdom. He is witty, humorous, quick-witted, and most importantly, authentically, or at least appearing genuinely sincere.
In fact, I’d say sincerity is Trump’s unique contribution to public life, and that is no small matter. For decades, most politicians in the media age have been adept at media presentation, possessing perfect talking points, adept detail mastery, and the ability to avoid trouble due to verbal slips.
In 2016 and beyond, Trump did not prepare excessively for debates; he spoke candidly and authentically on stage, responding to current topics in a manner, sometimes resolute, even rough, that people were compelled to agree with, fundamentally altering the entire system. The feeling he conveys is that he is not hypocritical but fearless.
His rhetorical skills are unparalleled by other politicians, and this is what led to his nominations and presidential election victory. These skills may very well lead to success for him once again.
I thought politicians worldwide would listen and learn, shaping their discourse while changing their manners of public speaking based on his evident and astonishing success. I thought every aspirant politician would fire their coaches and staff. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Even now, Trump dominates in these skills on national and international levels (although Putin is close).
Why do politicians persist in being disingenuous after Trump, you may ask? The answer is, they are not up to the task. They lack primal skills that artificial intelligence cannot match, incapable of carrying out the job without coaches and consultants. They do not sound human, much less persuasive, like the convincing people encountered in everyday life.
As a result, they lose to Trump. It’s as simple as that.
If I had one piece of advice for any candidate for public office, it would be: fire your PR staff, speak candidly, insightfully, and from the heart.
Trump is unique, AI can never create or replicate him, which is one of his secrets to success.
Moreover, imitating Trump is not the correct strategy, it’s too blatant. You can find your path, which may lead to ultimately different, even better outcomes. What matters is attaining key elements lacking in artificial intelligence: erudition, sincerity, credibility, social insight, quick and accurate judgment, wisdom, thoughtful consideration, and genuine intelligence.
Listen to Peter Thiel’s advice; he might be right about this, that investing in improving personal skills could be the best career investment of one’s lifetime.