I'm Cisco's innovation officer. Technology is evolving at a rate we've never seen — so these skills are essential. (www.businessinsider.com)

Guy Diedrich, Cisco’s global innovation officer, argues that as AI becomes ubiquitous—what he calls the “AI micro age” and a near-term transition to a quantum era in 3–5 years—humanities-based skills will be essential for responsible deployment and leadership. Speaking about Cisco’s skilling efforts, Diedrich warned that with routine “busy work” increasingly automated (Cisco’s AI consortium report found 92% of jobs will be moderately or severely impacted), the critical differentiator will be people who can ask the right ethical and strategic questions: “Should I do this?” He urged broad exposure to philosophy, ethics, psychology and critical writing even for technical students, noting that programming is relatively easy to learn but ethical reasoning and nuanced problem‑solving are lifelong practices. For the AI/ML community this shifts emphasis from pure technical proficiency to multidisciplinary fluency: model builders must pair technical craft with governance, ethics, and communication skills to ensure responsible implementation. Diedrich recommends ongoing education and hiring for well‑rounded candidates who can navigate tradeoffs, interpret diverse viewpoints, and make high‑stakes decisions—skills that will shape how AI is embedded across products, organizations, and society.