305: Matt Beane, Author & Professor, On Mastering Skills To Stay Relevant In the Age of AI

Matt Beane is a writer, professor, and advocate for fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and machines in the workplace. His influential TED Talk from 2018 has garnered over 1.8 million views, challenging conventional perspectives on AI's role in the workforce by highlighting its divergence from traditional human skill acquisition. As a co-founder and financier of Humatics, an IoT startup connected to MIT, Matt frequently shares his insights in esteemed publications such as Wired, MIT's Technology Review, TechCrunch, Forbes, and Robohub. His latest book, The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines, published by HarperCollins, has received accolades from notable figures like Adam Grant, Bob Sutton, Professor Ethan Mollick, and Reid Hoffman. Matt holds both a PhD and a master's degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management, along with a BA in philosophy from Bowdoin College. We are thrilled to welcome Matt to this episode of AI and the Future of Work.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The winding, non-linear career path that led to Matt's research on technology, skill-building, and the future of work—from dishwasher to high school math teacher to MIT researcher. • How the advent of new technologies, like smartphones and email, changed workplace dynamics and the way teams interact. • The "Skill Code" and the three Cs of learning—Challenge, Complexity, and Connection—and how these elements are crucial for building reliable skills under pressure. • The difference between knowledge and skill, and why skill development requires more than just education—it requires real-world application, collaboration, and engagement. • Matt's ethnographic approach to understanding work in diverse settings, from warehouses to operating rooms, and how he builds trust to gain insights into how people perform their jobs. • The role of motivation, human relationships, and trust in skill-building, and how these factors drive us to improve and master new tasks.

Resources

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* Matt Beane’s Substack post “Don't Let AI Dumb You Down"