When AI stops waiting to be asked

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One day, a father said, “My son got a new car, and it has every AI, technology, bell and whistle you can imagine.”

“Take it out for a drive,” the son said.

The father did as he was told.

Later, he said, “I started backing out of the driveway, and this cool little TV screen popped up. Strangely, it was showing a video of a kid on a skateboard getting hit by a car.”

Ouch!

I have not attended a single business conference last year or this year without hearing at least one – and often all – of the speakers talk about AI.

But what I have discovered more recently is this: AI is now operating on a completely different level, and it has the power to boost our productivity in ways we could hardly have imagined before.

For years, artificial intelligence has impressed us with its ability to answer questions quickly and accurately. The quality of the inference (outcome) depends on the quality of the prompts.

While this is remarkable, the next significant advancement will be AI that acts proactively, rather than waiting for prompts.

That is the argument made by Kiara and Nikhara Nirghin in a thought-provoking piece they wrote for Fast Company regarding proactive AI.

Another way to put this perspective in view is that the day is fast approaching when AI stops waiting to be asked.

It will become proactive.

I have been experimenting with it myself. While the technology is still crude, the possibilities are already visible.

Today’s AI is still largely reactive. You open a chatbot, type a prompt, refine the answer and close the tab.

Useful? Certainly.

Transformative? Not fully.

Because the value still depends on one fragile human variable: remembering to ask.

This reliance on human initiation is the primary bottleneck.

The challenge is not technological limitations, but human bandwidth.

People forget, become distracted, or may not know what to ask.

As a result, AI often remains underutilized, like a capable intern waiting for instructions.

Proactive AI, on the other hand, observes, learns, anticipates and acts within defined boundaries.

It moves from responding to actively shaping outcomes.

Current AI agents remain reactive, performing tasks only when instructed. They do not continuously monitor environments, model long-term goals, or make independent decisions.

While useful, they are not yet the proactive digital colleagues envisioned for the future.

For proactive AI to be realized, it will require continuous awareness, long-term memory of preferences and goals, defined authority to act and the ability to learn from outcomes.

These capabilities raise important concerns regarding privacy, trust, governance and reversibility. Allowing AI to act autonomously introduces new risks and responsibilities.

And this raises a practical question:

How can we ensure we remain valuable alongside proactive AI?

The answer is not to compete with AI at its strongest point. That would be like challenging a calculator to a speed-math contest and then wondering why your confidence needs counseling.

Instead, we should focus on developing skills and values that become increasingly important as automation advances.

Values like judgment. While AI can generate options, individuals must determine what is wise, ethical and appropriate. The ability to discern the right course of action will remain essential.

Sharpening critical thinking. Not accepting AI outputs at face value; question assumptions, identify blind spots and evaluate trade-offs. As AI output increases, discerning what truly matters becomes more valuable.

Developing deep domain expertise. While superficial knowledge is at risk of automation, AI still relies on humans for context, nuance, history, culture, customer behavior and understanding consequences.

Developing creativity and imagination. AI is good at remixing what already exists. Humans foster creativity and imagination. AI excels at recombining existing ideas, but humans retain an advantage in envisioning new possibilities. The future will favor innovators over routine task performers.

Developing emotional intelligence. Machines may simulate empathy, but genuine care and understanding are uniquely human. Skills such as trust-building, coaching, listening and conflict resolution will become increasingly valuable.

Cultivating adaptability. Job titles offer limited protection, but continuous learning ensures relevance. Success will often favor those who learn quickly.

Work with AI, not against it.

Refusing to use AI because it feels uncomfortable is like refusing electricity because candles seem more spiritual. And then focusing on building assets that are difficult to commoditize, such as trusted relationships, leadership credibility, original thinking, entrepreneurial skills and a strong reputation.

The thing is this. We do not compete, compute, or rely solely on AI for speed.

But we work with it through wisdom, trust, judgment, creativity and adaptability.

We need to leverage AI for efficiency, but focus on developing qualities that make you irreplaceable.

Those who will thrive will excel at what machines cannot: deep thinking, authentic human connection and rapid adaptation.

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Catch Kongversations with Francis on YouTube and all major podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Plus, listen to Inspiring Excellence wherever you stream.