The One Skill That Keeps You Relevant in a World of Generative AI

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it should be apparent by now that Generative AI is no longer a novelty. It’s in our search engines, inboxes, brainstorming sessions, and workflows. That shift has raised an urgent question for knowledge workers: How do you stay relevant when a machine can do increasingly larger portions of your job faster and more cheaply?

The answer isn’t technical. It’s not a new certificate or toolset. It’s curiosity.

The need to explore, question, and learn is becoming the single most valuable trait for anyone in a knowledge role. While AI can synthesize, analyze, and even “create” in impressive ways, it doesn’t wonder. It doesn’t question the question. That’s still very much a human domain.

Writer and professor emeritus Anthony Fredericks made this case beautifully in his July 2025 article, Staying Sharp. At 78 years old, Fredericks says his brain is just as productive as ever. He credits one habit above all others for that mental sharpness: constant curiosity.

If curiosity keeps you sharp for a lifetime, it can keep you relevant in an AI-driven workplace. Here’s why.

1. Curiosity is stronger than expertise

Fredericks doesn’t glorify knowledge for its own sake. He leans into the opposite by celebrating “not knowing.” That might sound strange, especially in a world where we reward expertise. But the willingness to admit what you don’t know is exactly what keeps you learning, though it requires humility, and at times even vulnerability, to do so.

AI excels at providing answers. However, the person who asks better questions gets more value from AI. Curious people are never stuck because they are always ready to explore something new.

Fredericks suggests picking a topic you know nothing about and spending ten minutes learning about it. It’s a question I used to play with my kids at the dinner table: “What is something you learned today that you didn’t know about?” While you may not be chasing fish sticks and tater tots around your dinner plate anymore, you can still try this exercise. Do it weekly. It keeps your brain agile and your thinking adaptable. And in an environment where change is constant, those are the real superpowers.

2. Divergent thinking leads where AI can’t follow

Fredericks draws a line between convergent and divergent thinking. Most people default to convergent thinking, which is focused on finding the correct answer. Generative AI is built to do exactly that, and it’s very good at it.

However, value comes from exploring possibilities, not just confirming them. Divergent thinking is curiosity in action. It asks open-ended questions, plays with ideas, and resists easy conclusions.

This is where humans can show their mettle. AI can generate options, but it doesn’t really imagine. It doesn’t chase what-ifs. Curious humans can take a bland AI output and shape it into something original because they aren’t looking for just one answer. They’re looking for interesting ones.

3. Curiosity builds mental resilience

Part of staying relevant is staying flexible. Curiosity makes that possible by encouraging us to look beyond the familiar. Fredericks mentions the role of awe in maintaining mental sharpness. That feeling of wonder can reset your perspective, spark ideas, and fuel continued growth.

You don’t have to go on a spiritual retreat to experience it (though I’ve certainly had mind-altering experiences on retreats). Visit a new part of town. Read a book outside your comfort zone. Listen to a radio station or podcast from a source or on a topic you usually ignore. Even small doses of novelty can unlock new patterns in your thinking.

In a work context, curiosity can help you navigate change instead of resisting it. People who respond to new tech with curiosity instead of fear shape how it is used.

4. Cross-domain curiosity creates unique insight

Fredericks’ reading list spans everything from paleontology to marketing to British narrowboats. That’s not just a hobby. It’s a strategy.

Generative AI is trained on everything. But the people who work across fields are the ones who notice patterns, contradictions, and opportunities that others miss. When you read outside your lane, your ideas become richer. You make connections that aren’t obvious. You see possibilities before they become trends.

This is how curiosity protects you from becoming redundant. If your thinking is rigid or narrow, AI might replace you. AI becomes your creative partner if your thinking is curious, layered, and expansive.

Final thought: curiosity is not optional

You can’t outwork machines. You probably can’t outlearn them in raw speed either. But you can be more curious than they are, which keeps you essential—essentially human.

Fredericks reminds us that curiosity isn’t a soft skill. It’s mental fuel. It sharpens your instincts and helps you stay nimble in a fast-changing world. It pushes you to explore what a tool can do and what it could mean.

AI is evolving, as are the demands of every knowledge role. However, the one thing that will never go out of style is the human instinct to explore, imagine, and dig deeper.

Be the one asking better questions. That’s how you stay relevant. That’s how you stay sharp.