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Footnotes

Footnotes

Written by: Jacob Taylor
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 Footnotes is hosted by Jacob Taylor, a management consultant and organizational researcher based in Boulder, CO, who examines complex, novel problems facing individuals, organizations, and society. Drawing on organizational behavior and social science research, plus some popular press, each episode digs into a question worth understanding: How does AI reshape what makes us valuable? Why do organizations resist change? How does political fragmentation affect trust? Some episodes focus on work and careers, others on broader social systems. Always aiming for "intellectual but accessible."Jacob Taylor Social Sciences
Episodes
  • What Makes You Valuable in the AI Era | Ep. 2: What Only Humans Can Do

    What Makes You Valuable in the AI Era | Ep. 2: What Only Humans Can Do
    Feb 1 2026
    74% of young professionals use AI regularly, and 79% worry it's making them lazier and less smart. This episode examines what gets crowded out when we let AI do our thinking: the five core capabilities that only humans can develop and that determine your value when machines can execute brilliantly. Drawing on new research from Gallup, MIT, Wharton, and Anthropic's analysis of one million AI conversations.The Gen Z Paradox [00:00-05:00]Gallup survey of 2,500 young adults reveals deep ambivalence about AI useThree concerns: crowding out learning by doing, critical thinking, and social learningMIT's "cognitive debt" study: decreased brain activity when using AIThe question of will vs. capabilityWhat Gets Crowded Out [05:00-12:00]The deskilling paradox: AI covers higher-skill tasks, leaving lower-skill workFive capabilities AI cannot replicate: Trust (built through human presence and vulnerability)Collaboration (navigating disagreement, reading rooms)Judgment (making calls under uncertainty)Creativity (discontinuous thinking, questioning paradigms)Vision (setting aspirations, articulating values)The Paradox of Sophistication [12:00-17:00]Anthropic research: Multi-turn conversations vs. single queriesHow sophisticated users collaborate with AI rather than delegatingThe productivity adjustment: 1.8% → 1.0% when accounting for reliabilityHow you prompt is how AI responds (r = 0.92 correlation)The Intentional Path [17:00-20:00]Practical exercises for each of the five capabilitiesThe choice: using AI to think WITH you vs. FOR youPick one practice and try it this weekRESEARCH CITEDGen Z AI Usage StudyLira, B., Folk, D., Ungar, L., & Duckworth, A. L. (2026). "How Gen Z Uses Gen AI—and Why It Worries Them." Harvard Business Review, January 28, 2026.Gallup survey of 2,473 U.S. adults ages 18-28Cognitive Debt ResearchMIT Media Lab study on AI-assisted writing and brain activity (EEG measurements)Critical Thinking & AIMelumad, S. (Wharton): Garden planning study comparing AI vs. Google searchAI Usage PatternsAnthropic Economic Index (January 2026): Analysis of 1M Claude conversationsTask complexity, success rates, and collaboration patternsOther Studies ReferencedDeloitte TrustID framework: 31% drop in AI trust, 144% engagement increase with trustGoogle Project Oxygen: Manager effectiveness and collaborationMcKinsey: 10x vs. 20% improvement thinkingFRAMEWORKS & PRACTICESThe Five Human Capabilities:Trust → Practice: Identify missing dimension (humanity, transparency, capability, reliability) and address in personCollaboration → Practice: Make thinking visible in next team discussionJudgment → Practice: Examine your next decision (10-minute reflection)Creativity → Practice: Inversion thinking + "what if the opposite were true?"Vision → Practice: Question what you're optimizing for and whyKey Insight: The most sophisticated AI users are the most collaborative, they maintain judgment rather than delegating blindly.RESOURCESNewsletter: Get weekly insights that go beyond headlines and quotes from research papers → Jacob’s SubstackNext Episode: Episode 3 - "Building the Muscle" How to develop resilience, learning velocity, and turn practices into capabilities that compound over time.CREDITSHost & Producer: Jacob TaylorShow: FootnotesSubscribe to Footnotes: [Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify]Subscribe to Jacob’s Substack Newsletter: [Substack]Follow Jacob: [Linkedin] | [Instagram]
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    31 mins
  • What Makes You Valuable in the AI Era | Ep. 1: The Half-Life of Expertise

    What Makes You Valuable in the AI Era | Ep. 1: The Half-Life of Expertise
    Jan 18 2026

    This is Episode 1 in the 4-part series "What Makes You Valuable in the AI Era." New episodes every week.

    Everyone seems to be talking about it, AI is going to learn to do your job (maybe better than you can). But while your specialized knowledge in fields like Accounting, Coding, or Customer Service might be obsolete faster than you thought, there are uniquely human skills that AI can't replace.

    In this episode, Jacob talks about what those skills are and how you can start developing them today. Whether you're a new college grad or a C-suite executive, these skills are as timeless and more transferable than anything you learned in a college class or job training.

    Drawing on insights from Harvard, McKinsey, Kellogg, and BCG, Jacob examines:

    • Why only 26% of organizations see value from AI (and what that means for individuals)
    • The Harvard study of 70 million job transitions that reveals which skills determine your "career ceiling"
    • Why "experience" doesn't automatically make you better, and what does
    • The 15-minute weekly practice that start you are on the path to developing your metacognition abilities and strategic thinking skills

    Perfect for: Young professionals (ages 23-32) anxious about AI, career switchers, anyone wondering how to stay relevant when technical knowledge expires so quickly.

    Topics covered: AI and career development, soft skills vs hard skills, professional development in the AI era, metacognition, judgment development, learning how to learn, critical thinking, career advice for young professionals, dealing with AI anxiety, future of work.
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    16 mins
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