Forget coding, Amazon’s AWS CEO wants his own children to master these soft skills in AI age — can you guess them?
He may be the CEO of a major tech company, but Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief Matt Garman has some pretty contrasting advice for future job seekers, including their children, when it comes to developing skills in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking to CNBC outside of coding, IT, and even medicine, Garman said he believes strongly in the need to develop more soft skills in AI and recommends his children follow suit. “No matter what subject you study, develop your critical thinking skills at university,” he strongly emphasized.
“I think part of going to college is building [your] critical thinking. It is less concerned with the development of skills and indeed [about] How do you become a critical thinker? “In some ways I think this will actually be the most important skill going forward,” he added.
Matt Garman’s advice for job seekers in the age of artificial intelligence: Develop soft skills
Speaking to the publication, Garman added that he sees critical thinking skills as “the number one, biggest key to success in the age of artificial intelligence.”
“You’ll want to be creative. You’ll want to be [good at] critical thinking. And you’ll want to be flexible. “I think the ability to learn new things and adapt will be as important as any skill you learn,” he added.
His belief is to be good at tasks that AI can’t replicate or surpass humans. The report stated that things like critical thinking, making nuanced decisions or offering creative solutions while performing administrative tasks are still a distant dream for artificial intelligence.
In addition to critical thinking, Garman highlighted two other important social skills: adaptability and communication. “(Soft skills) are important today. I think they will be just as important, if not more important (in the future),” he added.
“Most customers still want to talk to a person and get personal information and attention from a person. The skills of those people will continue to be very important for a long time,” he believes.
Human superiority that will make a difference when AI ‘takes’ jobs
Garman is not alone in his opinion. In September, Zoho Corp Artificial Intelligence Research Director Ramprakash Ramamoorthy echoed similar views. He felt that in the age of artificial intelligence and large language models, human superiority in critical thinking and reasoning will continue to be vital.
“Job roles will evolve and it is important for everyone to benefit from AI, just like when the internet came. However, human powers of reasoning and critical thinking will remain fundamental even in the age of AI and masters,” he told PTI in an interview.
