The Liberal Arts in the AI Age

A new workforce paradigm

In the early years of the artificial intelligence (AI) age, it was widely believed that professionals with coding and technical expertise held the keys to prosperity. However, the rapid and unprecedented development of AI may have put them in jeopardy in favor of professionals with humanities and liberal arts backgrounds.

A number of AI engines can now write code faster and better than humans. AI is more logical and accurate and can process vast amounts of data. Technical proficiency among human staff may no longer have a premium amid AI’s polish.

Still, there are human tasks to be accomplished: relentlessly questioning AI’s outputs, communicating with stakeholders, developing creative solutions to complex problems, forecasting the business landscape, and many more. Liberal arts graduates—who are trained to parse ideas, connect concepts, and think critically—are the perfect complement to AI’s rigidity. 

DeepSeek’s secret

Academics have been emphasizing the role of humanities graduates in the AI age. Their discussions seemed too abstract until the sudden rise of DeepSeek, whose low-cost AI engine has outperformed pricier platforms.

An interview with DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng in 2023 revealed that he prioritizes humanities graduates over traditional tech experts, believing that diverse insights could lead to more holistic solutions. Additionally, Liang actively recruits literature majors and enthusiasts to work on DeepSeek’s engineering teams that develop AI models.

It seems counterintuitive to trust coding or AI-related work to a fine arts or history major. However, in addition to logic, these types of jobs require creativity, streamlining ideas, and critical analysis.

In the postmodern business landscape, firms need staff who can grasp the technical nuances of an AI engine. They also need people who understand the value of storytelling and human behavior. Crucially, they need professionals who can spot links that others miss. Having a team with diverse backgrounds empowers a business to view problems from multiple angles.

Software engineers can answer the “what” and “how” questions, while humanities graduates can take care of the “why” questions. 

Rethinking talent

This development has added a layer of complexity to a business’s recruitment process. It’s not just a matter of preferring liberal arts graduates over IT degree holders; it’s about finding the exact type of professional the business needs. 

The concept of workforce diversity has taken a nose dive in recent weeks, but skill diversity may be the anecdote to AI dominance. Thinking broadly and creatively may be the new differentiator in the AI age. Building a global team and sourcing internationally can deepen the talent pool from which you recruit and select.

Silicon Valley has long been associated with tech-bros, New York with financiers, and Boston with science and math — where is the hot spot for the humanities and liberal arts? The answer may lie beyond the borders of the U.S.

Sourcing globally means that you can pick the best of the best from the largest possible talent pool — and often, their salary expectations are highly competitive compared to the usual overheated employment hotspots.

Offshore staffing firms have become great partners in supporting workforce needs in the tech age and will no doubt continue to do so into the AI age. 

The question for your business

Have you explored offshore solutions for your staffing requirements?

Read more thought leadership articles here:

• • Are MBAs Losing their Shine?
  • How Deepseek’s Rise is Redefining Business