Embracing versatility in life and why we need to cultivate generalist skills

Shifting away from rigid process to fluid creativity

“Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein

As the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation settles in around us, there has been a rapid thrust towards specialization, most powered by AI. For example, consider the rise of digital personal assistants like Siri and Alexa. These AI-driven tools are designed to specialize in understanding and processing natural language to perform a myriad of tasks from setting reminders to controlling smart home devices — all through voice commands.

These patterns of specialized effort, prominently observed in insect communities such as bee and ant colonies, also manifest in human technology. For example, apps like Grammarly focus exclusively on enhancing writing and editing. Utilizing AI, Grammarly offers real-time grammar corrections, style suggestions, and plagiarism detection. This specialization in technology mirrors the division of labour in a bee colony, where individual bees undertake specific roles like foraging, nursing, or defending. This specialization optimizes both the colony’s efficiency and its chances of survival, much as specialized apps streamline and enhance particular human…