What AI Can't Replace: Rethinking Human Skills and Intelligence

In the rush to embrace AI, it's vital to value our human qualities—and this involves broadening our idea of what education is.

- Chee Yeow Meng

As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves at breakneck speed, many people worry that machines might soon replace us. But a more important question may be: What exactly are human skills and human intelligence in a world where machines can do so much?

AI is not just automating tasks. It's redefining what we value as "smart" or "skilled."

This shift forces us to reflect not just on employment, but also on education, identity, and purpose. It challenges not just how we work, but also how we learn, lead, and live alongside machines.

We already see this shift in our daily lives. AI writes software code, generates news summaries, and composes music. Tasks that once required formal training or years of creative practice are now done in seconds.

These changes challenge what we consider intelligence, creativity, and even human value.

One of the most important lessons of the AI era that has emerged is this: intelligence and wisdom are not the same.

AI can sort data, summarize reports, and mimic expression—yet it never pauses, reflects, or weighs long-term consequences.

These are not technical gaps. They are philosophical ones.

Intelligence is knowing how to get somewhere. Wisdom is asking whether it's worth going there. Intelligence solves problems. Wisdom decides which problems matter.

This is why education must shift—from producing skilled coders to nurturing wise citizens.

FROM FIRE-MAKING TO CODING

Skills evolve. Imagine a caveman who could make fire by rubbing sticks together—this was once a vital survival skill. It meant warmth, protection, cooked food, and community. Today, it's a novelty taught at outdoor camps.

Closer to home, many Singaporeans may remember learning woodwork, metalwork, or home economics in secondary school. These were essential life skills then.

Today, they've been replaced by design thinking, programming, and robotics. As society changes, we redefine what matters.