The Careers Skills AI can't replace (Day 1) | Open to Work

The age of AI isn't ending human work—it's redefining it. In this first episode of a five-day series, Anish Rahman, LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer, argues that the real competitive edge in the AI era lies not in technical skills, but in five uniquely human capabilities: curiosity, creativity, compassion, courage, and communication. He challenges the fatalism sweeping workplaces, where people fear being replaced by machines, and instead calls for a shift toward 'human-centric' work. At the heart of this shift is curiosity—not as passive knowledge-seeking, but as an internal drive to question assumptions, explore possibilities, and keep pulling on a personal thread of passion. Anish warns against outsourcing curiosity to AI, emphasizing that while tools can help generate ideas, true insight comes from human reflection, debate, and vulnerability. He shares how he and co-author Ryan used AI to research stories but relied on human conversation to build their book’s core arguments. The episode ends with a powerful call to action: use AI as a starting point to spark curiosity, then go deeper—talk to old colleagues, revisit your past, and challenge your own assumptions. The future belongs not to those who master AI, but to those who master themselves. The episode reframes curiosity as a muscle to be built, not a trait to be found. It’s not about asking AI 'what’s next?' but about asking yourself: 'What am I afraid to question? What do I take for granted?