Preparing for the Age of AI: NTU Panel Recap

· Duan Kai Neo- President of NTU EEE Alumni Association · Meng Hwa Er – Emeritus Professor at NTU School of EEE, Former VP of NTU (International Affairs) · Le Zhang – Senior Manager at AMD, Former Data Scientist at Microsoft · Ian Yong Hoe Tan – Lecturer in Strategic Communication at NTU, Comms and GenAI Consultant at ThinkTan · Me – Partner & CTO at Hashmeta Group, Co-Founder at Business Plus AI

Despite our different backgrounds, one key theme kept resurfacing: the importance of active, self-learning in today’s era. It reminded me of a recent post by Google DeepMind’s CEO, where he emphasized that “learning to learn” is one of the most critical skills for the future (Source: https://lnkd.in/gA7K3kBx).

Self-learning is often underrated. Many adults stop actively learning once they join the workforce.

People understand the value of continuous learning, but few commit to it.

Why?

Busy work lives and competing priorities. Learning is like fitness: essential for the medium to long term, but not urgent. If we rely on a traditional prioritization framework, it will always get postponed. A better approach is to treat it like portfolio management—allocate X hours each week specifically for learning.

With GenAI, self-learning is more accessible than ever. This brings to mind the adaptation of the Johari Window framework from a Google event I shared recently (Link: https://lnkd.in/gsuSYcBf). By identifying what you and LLMs know and don’t, you can accelerate your learning with LLMs.

But how do you practically use GenAI for self-learning?

✅ Start with a question, not a topic. Instead of “teach me about marketing,” ask “how would I market a new SaaS product to small businesses?” This frames the learning process around a problem.

✅ Build a learning roadmap. Ask the AI: “I want to learn about X. What are the fundamental concepts I need to know? Can you create a 7-day learning plan for me?”

✅ Deepen your understanding. Use prompts like “Explain this to me like I’m 10,” or “Give me an analogy for this concept.”

✅ Practice and apply. Ask the AI to create a quiz or a small project to test your knowledge.

GenAI is not just a search engine; it’s a personal tutor, a sparring partner, and a creative collaborator, all rolled into one.

Based on my experience, GenAI can help you learn a topic quickly. However, to go deeper, the most effective way is reading the top 3 most recommended books on the subject, especially those written by practitioners.

In this fast-changing landscape, investing in the skill of learning how to learn may be the single most valuable strategy for staying ahead.

Do you agree?

#GenAI #SelfLearning #FutureOfWork