Copyright indiatimes
In an era when artificial intelligence can write code, analyse data, and automate countless technical tasks, the most valuable skill for tech professionals may not be technical at all. Guy Diedrich, Cisco's global innovation officer, is sounding the alarm that engineers and programmers who focus solely on technical prowess are missing the forest for the trees.The Cisco exec argues that the ability to ask probing ethical questions—"Should I do this?" rather than just "Can I do this?"—will separate thriving careers from obsolete ones. It's a perspective that challenges the traditional STEM-focused education model and suggests that philosophy and critical thinking courses might be just as important as algorithms and data structures.Diedrich, who began his career as a programmer and holds a Ph.D., told Business Insider that critical thinking rooted in humanities education will become essential as AI handles more routine technical work. "If we have access to all the information in the world at our fingertips, what will be the most important skill moving forward?" he said. "It's going to be asking the right questions, like 'Should I do this?'"Critical thinking beats coding skills in AI eraThe warning comes as Cisco's AI consortium report revealed that 92% of jobs will be moderately or severely impacted by AI. Technology is evolving at an unprecedented rate, Diedrich noted, and will soon transition from the current AI era to the quantum age within three to five years."Let's be honest, it's not overly difficult to learn how to program," Diedrich told Business Insider. "You can't learn how to think critically and solve problems ethically in weeks or even months. It's much more of a lifelong endeavor."The executive emphasised that students don't need to abandon technical degrees for philosophy majors, but should supplement their education with courses in ethics, psychology, and critical thinking. These skills will prove crucial for making responsible decisions about AI deployment and implementation, particularly as "so much of the upfront busy work" gets automated.Education now a lifelong process, not one-time eventDiedrich also stressed that younger workers bring fresh perspectives companies desperately need. "Education used to be an event. You got your degree and you're set," he said, according to Business Insider. "Now, education is a process. It's never-ending."The technology leader warned that companies risk falling behind when technology surpasses their employees' ability to manage it effectively, making continuous learning essential for career longevity in the AI age.
