Curiosity May Be the Most Valuable Career Skill in the AI Economy: Technical Expertise Evolves Quickly, but the Ability to Keep Learning Remains Essential

Curiosity is the driving force behind our evolution, continuous innovation, and ongoing learning, and can be our most significant advantage in a world of unprecedented change. I think many of us are naturally curious, and if not, the capability can be acquired through intentional development and nurturing. Curiosity doesn’t always start with answers—it often begins with questions. Some of the most powerful possibilities became a reality because someone dreamed big and asked questions like “Why?” or “How?” or, my favorite, “What if?”, allowing the reimagination of what’s possible.

As we witness the 21st century unfold, it is best characterized as the age of what I call Industrial Disruption. Every generation before us has had to face some degree of change and disruption, leading to the development of new forms of innovation leadership. Earlier generations have witnessed how innovation has changed how people work, and later generations have experienced how innovation has transformed where people work. Now, in this period of Industrial Disruption, we are seeing how innovation is changing what people do.

Because of the pace of innovation, we are seeing some of the most exciting opportunities, yet also some of the most challenging. There have been some amazing innovations, both from a historical perspective and, frankly, even in my lifetime, that make you pause and think. As amazing as some of these innovations have proven to be, there is nothing like what we are seeing in artificial intelligence (AI). AI has captured the world’s imagination by promising, and based on early signs delivering, greater efficiency, innovation, and growth. But behind the hype lies the hard reality: AI is accelerating faster than anyone anticipated. It is disruptive, impacts everyone because it will be everywhere, and is no longer optional. It must be part of our toolkit, helping us orchestrate our decisions and actions more intelligently and more quickly.

Our competitiveness will be influenced by our level of curiosity, which requires the continuous refreshment of our knowledge and skills through lifelong learning, given the rate of change. We must embrace the idea that lifelong learning is about continually investing in new, relevant learning. What I have learned is that curiosity can be our greatest advantage when we are unbounded in our pursuit of deeper knowledge. It is okay to keep asking questions that can lead to better answers. Curiosity is more than a personal trait; it is a competitive advantage. So, the currency of your knowledge and skills matters because today demands a blend of both core and employability skills. Core skills like critical thinking and problem-solving, and increasingly AI, are important because they get you employed. For example, in AI-exposed fields, hiring without AI fluency has fallen by 14% since 2022, while starting salaries for AI-skilled workers have risen by 12%. Employability skills like teamwork & collaboration, and curiosity are important because they keep you employed.

The winners will be those who effectively combine the use of AI for faster, smarter insights with their level of curiosity. The benefit we are seeing from AI lies in its excelling at the information-processing aspects of human intelligence, which, to me, makes it an IQ equalizer because everyone is smarter and more productive. When combined with the power of constantly exploring new ideas, adapting to unknown situations, and productively challenging the status quo, this is what I call the “curiosity advantage.” By constantly exploring new ideas, you will broaden your skill set and expertise, enabling creative thinking and new possibilities. By adapting to unknown situations, you will gain knowledge and appreciation from new places, different experiences, and environments, and other people and cultures. Finally, by productively challenging the status quo, you can find better alternatives because we often discover that better solutions do emerge.

Rodney C. Adkins, author of Curiosity Redefines the Limits: Advantages Gained from Life, the Workplace, and the Boardroom, is an electrical engineer, business executive, and philanthropist. His career includes extensive business leadership and board director experience for several public companies, early stage companies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. Among his many leadership roles, he served several years as chairman of Avnet Inc. and senior vice president of IBM Corporation. Adkins’ contributions at IBM included helping to advance the PC industry, leading IBM’s POWER business to become the dominant player in the UNIX market, and pioneering what became IBM’s portfolio of Internet of Things solutions.