Thinking capital

During the Industrial Revolution, humanity created countless “labour-saving machines,” and the world advanced rapidly. We could produce goods faster, more precisely, and more reliably, while relying less on human labour. Quality of life improved for everyone.

But with machines came new challenges: reduced employment opportunities, the pressure to learn new skills, and health issues from using our bodies less. Sometimes I think people from before the Industrial Revolution would laugh at us—going to the gym just to exercise our underused bodies.

I’m fascinated by the direction of today’s innovations: vibe-code, AI, self-driving cars. Many of these technologies seem to reduce how much we depend on one another. If machines are giving us “thinking capital”—making us less reliant on other people’s opinions—do we still need EQ? Or are we moving into a world where only the best IQ wins? Where everyone plays the same game, and everyone is a creator rather than a PM, designer, or engineer?

I don’t believe that’s the case. IQ has limits, but EQ does not. One day, cutting-edge design will be something anyone can create. But the ability to endure over time, to work with others, and to unlock the potential of those around us—that can grow endlessly. In the end, no one really cares how talented you are. What they care about is whether you make them more talented.

What humanity needs now isn’t just labour-saving machines or thinking machines. We need “heart-saving machines.”