Why Unlearning Is Vital to Succeed in the AI Era

Before adopting new ideas and practices, we must first empty our cup

AI makes us more productive, but it also makes us look foolish.

We’ve been taught to equate hard thinking with being smart. When we use AI, we feel smarter. When someone else does, we think they’re lazy.

AI is disrupting more than how we work. It’s also challenging our beliefs about what it means to be competent. Leaders want people to move faster. But when people use AI, leaders judge them for skipping the hard work.

To get the most from AI, we first need to unlearn old beliefs about work: how competence is measured, how decisions are made, and what counts as doing a good job. Letting go of old beliefs makes room for new ones. That’s why we need to empty our cup to succeed in the AI era.

That’s my invitation.

The Challenges of Unlearning

Unlearning is deeply rooted in Zen philosophy.

If your cup is already full, nothing new can be poured in. A cup full of tea represents a mind full of preconceived notions, beliefs, and biases. To make room for fresh ideas, we first have to empty it. In othe…