Google’s top AI scientist says ‘learning how to learn’ will be next generation’s most needed skill 
 

A top Google scientist and 2024 Nobel laureate said Friday that the most important skill for the next generation will be “learning how to learn” to keep pace with change as Artificial Intelligence transforms education and the workplace.

Speaking at an ancient Roman theater at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google’s DeepMind, said rapid technological change demands a new approach to learning and skill development.

“It’s very hard to predict the future, like 10 years from now, in normal cases. It’s even harder today, given how fast AI is changing, even week by week,” Hassabis told the audience. “The only thing you can say for certain is that huge change is coming.”

The neuroscientist and former chess prodigy said artificial general intelligence — a futuristic vision of machines that are as broadly smart as humans or at least can do many things as well as people can — could arrive within a decade. This, he said, will bring dramatic advances and a possible future of “radical abundance” despite acknowledged risks.

Hassabis emphasized the need for “meta-skills,” such as understanding how to learn and optimizing one’s approach to new subjects, alongside traditional disciplines like math, science, and humanities.

“One thing we’ll know for sure is you’re going to have to continually learn ... throughout your career,” he said.

The DeepMind co-founder, who established the London-based research lab in 2010 before Google acquired it four years later, shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing AI systems that accurately predict protein folding — a breakthrough for medicine and drug discovery.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined Hassabis at the Athens event after discussing ways to expand AI use in government services. Mitsotakis warned that the continued growth of huge tech companies could create great global financial inequality.

“Unless people actually see benefits, personal benefits, to this (AI) revolution, they will tend to become very skeptical,” he said. “And if they see ... obscene wealth being created within very few companies, this is a recipe for significant social unrest.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/greece-google-artificial-intelligence-hassabis-85bff114c30cbea4b951ab93dcc1e6d1

Comprehension

Who is Demis Hassabis, and what is his role at Google?
Where did Hassabis give his speech, and what was the main topic?
What skill did Hassabis describe as the most important for the next generation?
What does the term “artificial general intelligence” (AGI) mean according to the article?
Why did Hassabis say it is difficult to predict the future?
What are “meta-skills,” and why are they important?
What Nobel Prize did Hassabis win, and for what achievement?
What concern did Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis express about AI and global inequality?

Discussion

Do you agree that “learning how to learn” is the most important skill for the future? Why or why not?
How has technology already changed the way people learn and work?
What are some ways students today can develop “meta-skills”?
Do you think artificial intelligence will make more jobs or take them away? Explain your opinion.
How can governments prepare people for the rapid changes caused by AI?
What are some possible risks of AI that concern you the most?
Do you think AI will ever be as smart as humans? Why or why not?
How can society make sure that AI benefits everyone, not just a few wealthy companies?
What does the phrase “radical abundance” mean to you?
If you could design a school subject about AI, what topics would you include?

Vocabulary

Meta-skills – Higher-level skills that help people learn, adapt, and apply new knowledge effectively.
Predict – To say what will happen in the future based on information or experience.
Transform – To change something completely or make it very different.
Abundance – A large amount of something; more than enough.
Inequality – An unfair difference in wealth, opportunities, or treatment among people.
Skeptical – Doubting or not easily convinced about something.
Revolution – A major change in society, technology, or thinking.