Billionaire venture capitalist Hemant Taneja says the rise of AI is forcing a fundamental rethink of what skills matter most for success.
In a recent All-In Podcast interview recorded at CES, the General Catalyst CEO says AI is changing the role of human intelligence rather than replacing it.
He highlights that schools trained earlier generations to master problem-solving techniques over curiosity and creativity. According to Taneja, AI’s ability to solve problems at lightning speed negates the need for rote execution.
“When we were going to college, it was all about learning how to solve problems really well. And now, in a world where we have this technology that can solve problems for us, it really is about asking the right questions. It’s going back to the Socratic dialogue. It is about creativity and who can imagine best and what the world is going to look like, and then leverage these technologies to go shape the world towards that, to your point about vision.”
He says the reframing extends directly to how parents and educators should think about preparing the next generation.
“And teaching our kids, I get this question a lot about what do you want, how do you want your kids growing up? It’s like learning how to ask the right questions versus solving how to work on hard problems. It’s a very different mindset.”
Taneja notes that curiosity, not compliance, will define advantage in an AI-driven economy.
“And it is about curiosity and kind of back to being kids. When you’re growing up, it’s about challenging your curiosity. Can we actually rethink our pedagogy in a way that we can develop this next generation to be more than it’s 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning, and I’m going to factor polynomials because I’m in seventh grade, which is what our system looks like today?”
Taneja’s comments reflect a growing view among technology leaders that AI’s biggest impact may not be automation itself, but the redefinition of human value toward creativity, vision, and question-driven thinking. In December, Anthropic CEO Jack Clark said that the biggest limitations in the AI age will be time and curiosity. He noted that people need to invest in both to get meaningful results from AI tools.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at CapitalAI Daily are not investment advice. Investors should do their own due diligence before making any decisions involving securities, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets. Your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. CapitalAI Daily does not recommend the buying or selling of any assets, nor is CapitalAI Daily an investment advisor. See our Editorial Standards and Terms of Use.