As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to redefine industries, experts across business, law, technology, and marketing have emphasised that the future of work will not be determined solely by machines but by the human capacity to adapt, learn, and collaborate.
During a panel discussion on “The AI-Native Workforce: Preparing Gen Z and Alpha for Tomorrow’s Jobs” at the LegalTechBro (LTB) AI Career Fair 2025 on October 25, professionals from a variety of fields concurred that critical thinking, data literacy, and curiosity have emerged as the new non-negotiables for career success in an AI-powered economy.
“AI is not coming to replace people who know how to think; it’s replacing those who don’t know how to adapt.” Olajuwon Marc, founder at Teller One, stressed that success will depend on how fast individuals learn, unlearn, and relearn in response to change.
Marc revealed that professionals are increasingly required to acquire cross-functional fluency, or the capacity to work fluidly across disciplines. A lawyer, marketer, or finance professional can no longer afford to stay in their traditional silos in an era where business problems are becoming more interconnected.
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“Every career is now data-driven,” he said. “Understanding data, asking the right questions, and knowing how to interpret insights are what set apart the future-ready professional. You don’t have to code to be data-literate.”
The conversation also explored how Gen Z professionals are reshaping workplace culture with their preference for flexibility, social purpose, and technology-enabled creativity. While older generations tend to focus on structure and job stability, Gen Z’s agility and comfort with technology make them early adopters of AI tools, but also raise questions about consistency and depth.
“Gen Z has access to more tools than any generation before them,” Gbenga Onalaja, digital communication lead at Oando, said. “But what will set them apart is not how fast they can use AI, but how thoughtfully they can apply it.”
He advised that young professionals must balance speed with depth using AI to enhance their decision-making rather than substitute it. They encouraged institutions and organisations to design mentorship systems that merge Gen Z’s digital fluency with the strategic judgment of experienced professionals.
While fears of job displacement persist, Sanmi Lawal, head of compliance, emphasised that AI should be seen as a collaborator, not a competitor. The goal, he said, is not to compete with machines but to leverage them to amplify human intelligence.
“AI will handle the repetitive parts of our jobs, freeing us to focus on strategy, empathy, and innovation,” Lawal said. “That means we need to get comfortable working with AI, prompting it effectively, verifying its output, and integrating it into our problem-solving.”
The discussion highlighted that the “prompt economy,” where value is created through well-structured instructions to AI systems, will reward those who combine domain expertise with clear thinking and creativity.
Abiola Lawal, a lawyer, also urged colleges and training facilities to reconsider educational models that continue to emphasize memorization over critical thinking.
He maintained that as employers place a greater value on employability, portfolio work, and practical skills, traditional degrees are becoming less effective as one-way tickets to work.
“Students today need interdisciplinary exposure, not just a degree in law or economics, but a working knowledge of data, design thinking, and communication,” Lawal noted. “The future of education must be about solving problems, not just memorising facts.”
He called for partnerships between academia and industry to ensure that learning outcomes reflect real-world demands. This includes embedding digital tools and AI-based simulations into classrooms to prepare graduates for an evolving workplace.
Beyond technical knowledge, Maryqueen Obaji, business operations, Utiva. emphasised the power of soft skills, communication, empathy, teamwork, and resilience as enduring assets in a world driven by automation.
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“The future belongs to people who can connect the dots between data and people, between systems and stories,” she said. “AI can predict trends, but it can’t persuade clients or build trust. Those remain human advantages.”
Obaji agreed that professionals who combine analytical precision with emotional intelligence will remain indispensable in leadership, management, and client-facing roles.
As the discussion closed, a consensus emerged: thriving in an AI-powered world requires a balance between technical adaptability and human authenticity. Curiosity drives learning, data literacy informs decision-making, and critical thinking ensures sound judgment, together forming a skill set that technology cannot replace.
“AI may change the tools of work,” they concluded, “but the principles of curiosity, learning, and human connection will never go out of fashion.”
