What You Don't Know Will Help You

Limited Expertise in the AI Era

I spoke to an undergraduate technology business class today. Students wondered how to prepare for a workforce driven by generative AI. One asked, "Can I learn to ask good questions?"

My advice: Embrace limited knowledge. GPT-4 makes expertise abundant, turning it into a liability when it hinders AI collaboration. The brightest individuals know less.

Expertise is like financial operating leverage. High operating leverage boosts profit during growth but becomes a liability when markets decline. Likewise, expertise was valuable when knowledge was scarce, but as AI advances it will obstruct collaboration and adaptability.

Immerse yourself in collaboration. Shrink your identity. It costs you less.

In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind, there are few.

- Shunryu Suzuki