Trained by Chaos: The Mindset AI Can’t Replace | Muhammad Saadi Mansuri | TEDxIBA

Key Concepts

• Adaptability
• Curiosity
• Innovation
• Unpredictability
• Change as a constant
• Mindset over skills
• Pakistani resilience
• AI-driven world

Main Argument: Pakistanis are uniquely positioned to thrive in the AI-driven world due to their inherent adaptability and resilience in the face of constant change and unpredictability.

1. The Changing World and the Role of AI

• The speaker recounts a conversation about the rapid changes in the world, specifically mentioning the shift from ChatGPT to Deepseek.
• He shares an anecdote about asking ChatGPT if his skills were still relevant, receiving a negative response.
• He then asked what skills are needed to survive in the AI-driven world, and ChatGPT responded with adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to innovate.

2. Pakistanis: Masters of Adaptability

• The speaker argues that Pakistanis are inherently adaptable and well-equipped to thrive in a changing world.
• He uses the example of Karachi's unpredictable environment (e.g., sudden flooding) to illustrate this point.
• He contrasts this with the failure of Tesla's self-driving cars in Pakistan due to unexpected obstacles like rickshaws and unpredictable traffic patterns.
• He emphasizes that Pakistanis have historically thrived in unpredictable environments.
• "If you want to learn how to adapt to change, learn it from us."

3. The Importance of Mindset Over Skills

• The speaker argues that a growth mindset and a positive attitude towards change are more important than specific technical skills.
• He shares his experience as an AI entrepreneur without a formal tech background, attributing his success to curiosity and openness to change.
• He acknowledges the value of learning technical skills but emphasizes that these skills can quickly become obsolete.
• He states that fancy degrees are going to be more obsolete than the uploading of this talk.
• He encourages the audience not to fear technology but to embrace it with the right mindset.

4. Pakistani Experiences as Training for the AI World

• The speaker suggests that everyday experiences in Pakistan, such as navigating chaotic traffic or dealing with slow internet bandwidth, have inadvertently trained Pakistanis to thrive in unpredictable situations.
• He uses the example of knowing the actual arrival time at a wedding despite the time printed on the invitation card to illustrate the inherent understanding of unpredictability.
• He argues that these experiences have instilled in Pakistanis a unique ability to work in unstructured environments with limited data.
• "We've been trained on something that no AI model can ever be trained on. Thriving in an environment where change is the only constant."

5. Conclusion: Embrace Change and Trust Your Abilities

• The speaker concludes by encouraging the audience to embrace change and recognize the inherent skills they possess.
• He emphasizes that Pakistanis are well-positioned to benefit from the future created by AI due to their adaptability and resilience.
• He reiterates the importance of attitude over skills and encourages the audience to be comfortable with the unknown.