Intelligence is changing. For most of modern history, intellectual quotient (IQ) was treated as the gold standard for potential, and later, emotional intelligence (EQ) became the best way to succeed in spaces where relationships led to results. Now, both are being disrupted because AI models can complete cognitive tasks with remarkably superior speed and accuracy while simulating emotional connections with users in ways that feel increasingly realistic.

There was a time when being the smartest person in the room offered a clear path to success, and many professionals built their careers on the ability to synthesize information faster than their peers. Value came from knowledge or expertise and the speed with which it could be deployed. Today, that advantage is no longer a moat because AI systems can draft complex strategy decks and process information at a scale and speed no human can match on their own. The traits that once guaranteed success are no longer enough to set someone apart, so the differentiator is changing from who can access information to who can interpret it wisely.

This seismic change is leaving many of us questioning our place in a world where machines can analyze, summarize, predict, and even mimic empathy on command. And beneath all that uncertainty is a question about what might remain uniquely human when the skills we once celebrated and relied on can be easily and cheaply automated.

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