Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning: How to thrive in an age of A.I
A transcription of the speech by Prof Balaji Rajagopalan to high school students on how to navigate in the 21st century
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We live in what Tom Friedman describes as a “Flat World” — one that is both exciting and challenging. Exciting because of the explosion of knowledge and technology; challenging because of the rapid pace of change and the constant obsolescence of knowledge. Yet this is also a time of extraordinary opportunities — a chance to harness knowledge and innovation for the greater good of humanity and the planet, on a scale never seen before.
To thrive and to be a force for good in this “Flat World,” you will need three things:
To be a sponge for knowledge.
To think broadly and see connections across diverse fields — to embrace interdisciplinarity.
To develop strong communication and writing skills.
In short, you must learn to be both an expert and a generalist at the same time. To succeed, cultivate intellectual curiosity, and commit yourself to lifelong learning.
Encapsulated in this thought-provoking quote by Alvin Toffler - “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Your time in school and college is the best place to lay the foundation for these skills. Continue to build on them!
Who do we look up to, to get inspired and learn from, to thrive in this Flat World ?. Fortunately, history offers us two towering figures to learn from and emulate: the Wright brothers and Leonardo da Vinci — brought to life in the engrossing works of David McCullough and Walter Isaacson.
I will briefly highlight the Wright Brothers.
As historian David McCullough describes, the Wright brothers possessed extraordinary intellectual curiosity, a love for the liberal arts, and a gift for language. They combined keen observation of nature with practical skills as mechanics, machinists, and businessmen. They were exceptionally hardworking, collaborative, and logical. Perhaps most importantly, they learned from failure, persisted through setbacks, and approached complex problems with methodical reasoning.
Their story also reminds us that words matter. Ideas endure because they are written down. The next time you step onto a Boeing 777, Dreamliner, an Airbus A-380, or any other airplane, remember that you are flying because of the Wright brothers’ detailed writing and careful documentation of their designs and experiments — the very records that made modern aviation possible. Not to mention, the ability to fly like birds and the flying machine is a singular invention and discovery in human civilization that has changed history in a profound manner within a short span, arguably more than any other invention in history. All of this from two high school graduates!.
I like to tell that if the Gods get envious of humans it will be over our ability to fly and our flying machines!. Thanks to the Wright brothers.
Behind their success stood a great teacher: their father, who drilled in them the need for excellent writing and communication skills, nurtured their curiosity and discipline.
I will emphasize that excellent communication and writing skills are especially important to thrive in STEM fields (Medicine, Engineering, Science.), contrary to intuition. So, Read!, Read anything! in front of you (newspapers, books, articles, pamplets, anything), Read daily!. For, good reading leads to clarity in thought, which leads to clarity in writing and communicating, all leading to clarity in action!. The Wright Brothers approach.
As an aside, browsing online is not Reading!
Money, technology, and physical structures do not inspire generations or shape destinies on their own. It is great teachers who awaken curiosity, cultivate a love of learning, and develop the habits of logic and reason. I can attest to the life-changing power of education and the teachers and mentors who guide us.
As someone who is a first-generation college graduate, I spent much of my childhood in rural south-central India without even running water. My own very modest school no longer exists physically — it lies in ruins, demolished by changing economic times. But the lessons I carry with me endure. The extraordinary teachers of math, science, and literature who shaped my mind are the reasons for my success.
Human history, across ancient and modern societies alike, is filled with examples of the transformative role of great teachers. As the English writer Michael Morpurgo beautifully said: “It is the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.” So take advantage of and seek out teachers and mentors around you while you are in your school and college, to build the skills necessary to thrive in the future of A.I.
In parting, let me leave you with this thought from one of history’s greatest creative minds, Leonardo da Vinci, once said: “Learning never exhausts the mind.”
My advice is simple: Keep learning. Keep Reading. Stay curious.
