With AI advancements, many wonder what will set workers apart in the future, particularly those involved in knowledge work and the professions. When AI has all the knowledge and all the intelligence, what value does the human worker bring? The answer is agency - high agency.
High-agency individuals - those who take ownership of their actions, shape circumstances rather than react to them, and turn obstacles into opportunities - are the ones that will thrive.
High-agency individuals have always done well, and they will continue to do so as AI reduces the value of knowledge and intelligence to near-zero. When machines can instantly process and advise on vast information sets, what will set people apart is their ability to think independently, take initiative and drive action.
High-agency individuals don’t wait for circumstances to shape them - they shape circumstances. They pursue their goals relentlessly, seeing obstacles as puzzles to be solved. Instead of relying on step-by-step guidance, they carve their own paths, embodying Peter Block’s idea in The Answer to How is Yes: they don’t just ask how - they figure it out.
In the workplace, high-agency employees and leaders don’t complain and wait for permission to solve inefficiencies - they fix them. A high-agency risk manager doesn’t just follow compliance checklists but instead anticipates emerging risks, engages stakeholders, and adapts frameworks to be practical rather than bureaucratic. In cybersecurity, such leaders don’t merely react to threats - they build resilience and proactively strengthen defences - and they’re not waiting until they’re told by regulators or auditors until they do it.
As AI takes over routine tasks, high-agency individuals will become ever more vital. AI can provide insights and automate tasks, but it cannot take responsibility, drive change, or navigate human dynamics. High-agency individuals will be the ones who leverage AI as a tool rather than fearing its impact.
Those who embrace AI as a tool rather than fear its impact will stay ahead. In a world where knowledge is abundant, the true differentiator is action. Those who wait for instructions risk irrelevance — those who act will thrive.