The Skill That Matters

Notes from Po-Shen Loh: The Only Trait for Success in the AI Era

AI reshapes work. What makes us valuable when machines do what we once did?

Competition Is the Wrong Game

Success isn't about being better than others. When AI handles complex work, this mindset traps us.

The real game is collaboration.

Why Teams Want You

AI handles writing, coding, and analysis. Why would anyone want you on their team?

Not your technical skills. Not your intelligence. They like you. They feel you'll create value for them.

People team up with you when you authentically care about creating value for others.

You can't fake this. People sense genuine help versus going through motions. Without authenticity, you're a bad partner.

When AI provides any answer, ask: what problem do you care to solve for someone else?

How to Stay Valuable

Caring about others requires something AI threatens: your ability to think independently and judge clearly.

Don't Outsource Your Thinking

For master writers, AI boosts productivity. For learners, writing builds thinking muscles. Reading, writing, logic—these develop how we think.

Writing's goal isn't the finished paper. It's the mental workout. You learn to think logically, structure arguments, express ideas. The power of a Large Language Model is the "L". Outsourcing this kills your thinking muscle.

Using AI for homework is like driving one mile for exercise. You get nothing.

Build Your Understanding

Use AI to gather information, not to do your thinking.

AI gathers context. Your brain builds understanding.

This matters because understanding the world lets you imagine what happens next. What works. What fails. This is how entrepreneurs succeed. How you solve real problems for real people.

Question Every Narrative

AI presents partial narratives that look complete. Every source has an agenda.

Don't accept what AI tells you. Use AI to gather diverse sources. Ask: where do these disagree?

The world has 7 billion viewpoints. AI gives you five. Different sources use true facts but create different feelings. Compare perspectives. Disagreements arise from different values about how people should live. This shapes which stories get told and which facts get emphasised.

Use AI to surface differences, not hide them. Develop what AI cannot: nuanced judgment about complex human situations.

Why These Skills Matter

Building understanding and questioning narratives require authentically human traits:

Genuine curiosity about others' problems and perspectives. You can't solve someone's problem without understanding it deeply.

Deep motivation to create value for others. You can't serve people well if you accept the first narrative you hear.

Thoughtfulness about what problems matter. You can't identify real problems by outsourcing your thinking.

AI can't automate these. They're about caring.

Ask Yourself

When AI provides any answer and completes any task:

• Do you care about creating value for others?

• What problem do you care to solve for someone else?

The future belongs to those who work alongside AI while remaining deeply, authentically human.

The skill that matters is the capacity to care.