The advent of artificial intelligence – or the automation of thinking – is a major disruption to the way humans live and work. As a result, many thousands of workers worldwide are expressing FOBO, or the Fear Of Becoming Obsolete.

These fears are not entirely unfounded. The World Economic Forum (WEF) tracks the expectations of global employers on future skills requirements. In 2025, they reported that two fifths (39 per cent) of existing skill sets were anticipated to become outdated or transformed over the next five years.

Artificial intelligence platforms are becoming increasingly common in the workplace.Credit: Bloomberg

But there is no need to fear the coming wave. As new technologies are incorporated and AI takes on more of the cognitive load of just about any job, our ability to use freed-up brain space to innovate and problem solve will be in hot demand.

Aside from the obvious need to build digital dexterity, top skills of the future are thinking skills. Namely, analytical thinking, creative thinking, curiosity, resilience, and lifelong learning.

Why these skills? Because machines can’t empathise with what humans need, desire or aspire to, nor can they come up with creative solutions to meet those needs. We are entering a new space in which machines........

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