What is the "Humanity" That Determines Success in the AI Era? — Education That Fosters Empathy and the Will to Create Value
In the modern age, facing the rapid evolution of AI, what is "humanity"? Po-Shen Loh, a mathematician and educator at Carnegie Mellon University, argues that in addition to creativity and critical thinking, the empathy and will to create value that only humans possess are the most important traits that will determine success in the AI era. Through his lectures and educational activities, we realize that we need not just knowledge, but the "cultivation of the power to think and act for oneself." In this article, we will organize his message in an easy-to-understand manner and concretely consider the state of education and society in the modern age.
1. What are the uniquely human traits needed in the AI era?
AI already has the power to solve advanced problems. For example, the fact that AI solved 4 out of 6 creative and fundamental problems in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) suggests that human "creativity" is also being caught up to by AI.
However, Loh points out the following two points as "traits that humans possess that AI cannot imitate".
Empathy: The will to stand in another's perspective and create value and joy. This cannot be imitated by AI.
The will to create value: Being trusted and liked as a meaningful presence for people and teams. Teams seek such people.
2. Cultivating creativity and critical thinking — Proposals for the educational field
2-1. Learning must not become overly reliant on AI
Loh says that having AI do homework or write essays at school is like "running a marathon in a car" in terms of exercise. This risks depriving students of opportunities for thinking training and causing them to lose "mental muscle strength."
2-2. Facing unknown problems and visualizing the thinking process
In interviews for hiring high school students, Loh intentionally poses "unseen" math problems to observe their thinking and reactions. Education that emphasizes the quality of the process and ideas rather than ready-made correct answers is the key to cultivating human-like intelligence.
Furthermore, he provides insight that it is important to have an attitude of refining creative ideas through the process of "generating and breaking" them (trial and error and evaluation) to foster high-quality thinking.
3. Creating an educational ecosystem that fosters "humanity"
3-1. Educational revolution through the fusion of mathematics and theater
Loh created an interactive and emergent educational platform where high school students with high mathematical ability learn "engaging speaking skills" from professional actors, and then become performers themselves to teach live classes to junior high school students. Through this, he has realized a new educational model that fosters "mathematically brilliant, yet warm-hearted and charismatic leaders."
3-2. Social networks as an ecosystem of thinking and empathy
Loh has built an "ecosystem" of people with the ambition to create a better society by connecting young people who possess both mathematical talent and humanity. For example, the mechanism where high school students teach junior high school students, and the community supported by trust and friendship, are rooted in the desire to "bring joy to others."
4. The resilience created by diverse perspectives and values
AI sometimes makes judgments or suggestions based on biased information. Loh preaches the necessity of intentionally following multiple media and perspectives to cultivate unbiased judgment.
Loh also emphasizes that there are over 7.5 billion diverse perspectives on Earth, and that this rich "marketplace of ideas" is the source of creation and evolution.
5. Turning Social Issues into "Value": The Mindset of a Social Entrepreneur
Mr. Loh is not just a theoretical educator; he is also active as a social entrepreneur. During the pandemic, he released the contact tracing app NOVID, designed with "self-interest alignment" so that users would use it to protect themselves from infection.
Furthermore, he possesses the perspective of "ensuring business viability while contributing to society." In other words, the commitment to building "structures where helping others is profitable" and "mechanisms where the people helped create value and profits circulate within that system" underpins both his education and his social activities.
Conclusion:
The "only trait for success in the AI era" presented by Po-Shen Loh is the "empathy" and "will to create value" that only humans can possess. While skills like creativity and critical thinking are already on par with AI, the existence of someone who considers the joy of others, creates value through their own actions, and is trusted as a result is indispensable in future society.
His educational practice—mathematics and theater, live classes, and social entrepreneurship—suggests how future leaders should be. And to make this world a better place, we each should cherish the attitude of "thinking, acting, and caring for others."