In the early part of the 20th century, the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset said that life is a series of collisions with the future. He believed that life is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be. Ortega y Gasset’s statement is a reminder that desires, goals, and aspirations shape our lives; it is what we yearn to determine the choices we make and the actions we take.
We are now living in the early stages of shifting from a knowledge-based economy to a different stage within the larger concept of a learning society. After the agricultural economy, and then the industrial economy, the knowledge economy emerged with the arrival of the internet and the dawn of the information age.
Unlike those previous rural and manufacturing economies, which focused on labor or equipment, the knowledge economy centered on intellectual capital. The knowledge economy is characterized by automation, digitization, knowledge discovery, abundance of information, open innovations, and increased investments in research, science, and education.
Some are already talking about the shift from that knowledge-based economy to what some are calling the “intuition economy”, which is also part of the larger learning society. In this new economy, AI systems are growing smarter at a staggering pace, able to understand not only text but images, and starting to rival humans at general tasks. As AI systems grow more intelligent, they will force people to become smarter and more creative too. The value of pure knowledge decreases; the importance of what is done with that knowledge rises.
With the rise of AI in all its forms and derivatives, knowledge will be commoditized and democratized, leading to an “intuition economy” where human creativity will be valued more than ever. As Ortega y Gasset had envisioned, we are colliding with the future while ensuring the success of our aspirations.
Beyond labels, we are all witnessing the acceleration of technology and the potential impact of AI on job displacement. It is key to recognize the growing importance of strategic planning to ensure that our societal efforts today around higher education align with the skills required three to five years from now.
In its 2023 Future of Jobs report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) spoke to businesses to see what they thought the future of jobs looks like. A majority (86.2%) reported that adopting new and emerging technologies will have the biggest impact on the employment market. As that happens, employers expect jobs to grow in areas like Big Data analytics, Climate-change mitigation technology, Environmental management technologies, Encryption and cybersecurity, Biotechnology and others.
The WEF report also asked employers what skills they thought would be most important in future applicants. In order of most to least importance, they are creative thinking, analytical skills, technological literacy, curiosity and lifelong learning, resilience, flexibility, and agility, as well as motivation, empathy, active listening, and attention to detail.
As we move into the “intuition economy”, our education systems should embrace emerging technologies, that is the incorporation of new technologies to streamline the educational process. Fostering stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industries will be key, particularly using technology to bridge communication gaps and ensure that students’ skills align with workforce demands.
An important part of successful enterprises from higher education to employment will require leveraging data to map out well-defined industry-aligned pathways for learners, ensuring they understand the steps needed to move from education to a productive job. Speed will be a plus in the new economy and enabling skills ownership to learners as well as a digital, portable ways to showcase knowledge, skills, abilities, performance and experience will empower students to use technology to provide secure, portable, and verifiable records of their achievements that can be recognized across industries. As digital wallets containing digital credentials become more prevalent, jobseekers now can store and share comprehensive learning and employment records to pursue job opportunities.
It has been years that many different entities have been trying to align curricular plans with the needs of the employer’s side. The use of technology can also connect educational and academic curricula with real-time industry requirements. To achieve that alignment, it is key to encourage clear communication paths between educational institutions and industry. This will generate alignment between what students are taught and what the workforce demands.
As we move ahead into the second quarter of the 21st century, our knowledge society is transforming into a broader concept where the learning society and the intuition economy will also have to address ethical concerns and the everlasting fight for freedom in growing polarized societies. In doing so, it is helpful to remember Ortega y Gasset´s belief that life is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be.
