SuperSkills: The 7 human skills AI can't replace
From Education Futures by Svenia Busson & Laurent Jolie
May 25, 2026 · 41 min · Season 1 · Episode 45
About this episode
Rahim Hirji discusses the essential human skills that will remain relevant in the age of AI, as outlined in his book SuperSkills.
What skills will remain irreplaceable as AI takes over more and more of the work we do? That's the question that led Rahim Hirji to write SuperSkills — a book about the human capabilities that will define who thrives in the age of AI. Rahim has spent over two decades at the intersection of technology and education. He ran Maths Doctor, one of the UK's first online tutoring businesses. He co-founded EtonX , which brought soft skills education to students across China and beyond. He then joined Quizlet to lead its international growth, and served as Executive Vice-President at Avallain , a Switzerland-based learning platform. He is now advising AI and EdTech businesses. He is also a school governor at Channing School in North London. In this episode, Rahim walks us through his SuperSkills Ladder, a framework that goes from survival skills all the way up to what he calls the 7 super skills: curiosity, change readiness, big picture thinking, principled innovation, empathy, global adaptability, and the augmented mindset. His research draws on the findings of the World Economic Forum and McKinsey on the future of work. He explains why the "specialist skills" layer — the vocational…
People in this episode
Hosts: Svenia Busson, Laurent Jolie
Guest: Rahim Hirji
Topics covered
- AI
- human skills
- education
- future of work
- soft skills
- teenagers
Keywords
- AI
- human skills
- SuperSkills
- education
- soft skills
- future of work
- teenagers
- curiosity
- empathy
- adaptability
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: World Economic Forum, McKinsey, Maths Doctor, EtonX, Quizlet, Avallain
Books & works: SuperSkills
Places: North London
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