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STEM May Not Be Enough In This Era Of Artificial Intelligence

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Artificial intelligence is getting more and more sophisticated and can do things that humans cannot. In Japan, IBM's Watson saved a woman's life when it detected a rare form of cancer which human doctors missed. Because of such advancements, educators and experts are saying that teaching STEM at schools is not enough anymore.

Schools have placed a lot of emphasis on STEM education lately but with science and technology progressing in leaps and bounds, a traditional approach is clearly not enough. If it isn't, what is the best way to prepare the next generation to compete and stay relevant against these sophisticated computers?

Geoffrey Colvin, bestselling author and editor of Fortune Magazine, said that a comprehensive approach in STEM is needed. He also argued in his book, Humans are Underrated: What High Achievers Know that Brilliant Machines Never Will, that creativity and all the functions of the brain should be what humans need to nurture and utilize in the war against the machines.

The right brain, of course, is the one responsible for people's creativity, critical thinking, imagination, and emotional intelligence - traits that machine do not possess.

These, according to Colvin, are the capabilities that need to be cultivated along with STEM education. He added that machines might change humans and the way they communicate with each other but those who master these creative abilities will become the most valuable people in the future.

The most effective way to develop these brain skills is to teach students entrepreneurship skills. Training, according to Colvin, should begin in the middle and high school levels.

Why entrepreneurship?

That's because teaching students the process of creating and presenting a business plan that is related to their passions will enable them to stretch their minds, which traditional learning cannot do.

With the right training and mentors, the world will be far from being overtaken by cyborgs as Elon Musk predicted.

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