AI Readiness Skills are a set of competencies that equip individuals to thrive in an AI-driven world. These skills help you leverage the opportunities created by AI, and also protect yourself from the potential threats that AI may pose.
The AI Readiness Skills Pyramid
AI Readiness Skills are structured into a three-level pyramid:
- Level 1: DCIM Skills (Digital Citizenship & Internet Maturity)
- Level 2: The Four C's (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication)
- Level 3: AI Tools
Level 1: DCIM Skills - Your Career Insurance
DCIM skills form the foundation of AI readiness. They are also known as career insurance because they ensure that if your job is impacted by AI, you can restart your career through online learning and managing your online reputation. DCIM skills include three major competencies:
Online Safety
Online safety skills help you understand the various threats and dangers online, and how AI can make these threats even more dangerous. This includes:
- Avoiding physical threats by not revealing your location online.
- Protecting yourself from cyberbullying and online harassment.
- Recognizing and avoiding financial fraud and social engineering attacks.
- Understanding the risks of online grooming and brainwashing.
- Managing the risk of mental and physical health problems from overuse of social media.
- Understanding how to be a responsible digital citizen by avoiding plagiarism, defamation, and sharing illegal content.
You will also learn about online safety essentials such as firewalls, antivirus software, and strong passwords.
Online Learning
Online learning skills are essential in a world where continuous learning is a necessity. These skills help you to find trustworthy and up-to-date information online, and to avoid misinformation. This includes:
- Identifying trustworthy sources of information and avoiding 'content pollution,' including fake news.
- Using online educational resources such as Open Courseware (OCWs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) effectively.
- Building your personal knowledge library and avoiding information overload.
Online Reputation Management
Online reputation management skills help you understand what your digital footprint is and how to build a positive online image. This includes:
- Understanding the difference between online and real-world reputations.
- Learning how to build a positive online reputation across various platforms.
- Recognizing reputation mistakes and how to avoid them.
Level 2: The Four C's - Essential Skills for the AI Era
The Four C's are a set of skills widely considered essential for success in the 21st century, especially in an AI-driven world. Mastering these skills allows you to effectively utilize AI and retain relevance in the job market.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves analyzing situations, concepts, or problems by asking "why" to get to the fundamental truth.
Creativity
Creativity is about innovative thinking and finding new ways to solve problems. It is not just about artistic skills but about thinking creatively.
Communication
Effective communication is about clearly conveying your ideas and ensuring that your message is understood by others, avoiding ambiguity.
Collaboration
Collaboration focuses on teamwork.
The Four C's are best learned through project work that involves solving problems or creating new value. Those who master the Four C’s can become the "boss" of AI, using it as an assistant.
Level 3: AI Tools - Leveraging AI for Productivity
Knowing how to use AI tools is a crucial component of AI readiness, as these tools are increasingly becoming available for almost every task. This includes:
- Choosing the best AI tool for a given task.
- Effectively "prompting" the tool using natural language to get the desired output.
- Understanding that domain expertise is key to using AI tools effectively.
Using AI tools is not the same as using software, it is about instructing them through natural language prompts to produce a desired outcome.
Why are AI Readiness Skills Important?
AI is changing the way we live and work. By developing these skills, you can:
- Prepare for the opportunities and challenges that AI brings.
- Secure your existing job or find new opportunities in the AI-dominated world.
- Ensure you are not replaced by AI.
Developing AI readiness skills will ensure that you are ready for the future, no matter what industry or stream you choose to work in.
Can we skip learning some skill from the pyramid?
All the above skills (the entire pyramid) are compulsory for becoming AI-Ready. Removing any of the skills will compromise the AI-Readiness of the student or the teacher.