Critical thinking: the ultimate tool 

Creative and critical thinking are becoming the most valued skills in the jobs market, and therefore among the most prized talents to take from school into the outside world. 

That was the message to current scholars from a former scholar – ex-School Captain and Dux, Joel Gibson (’95). 

Creative thinking was even more important in the age of AI, he told the 2023 Scholars’ Assembly. 

“It is rapidly becoming the biggest skill employers are looking for. AI will never be able to do what we do. It will always work harder than us, but it will never be human. All it does is copy us.” 

He described the three Cs - critical thinking, creativity, and commitment – as “the ultimate tools in your kitbag”. 

“That’s what I learned at Trinity that has carried me through the past 40 years. 

“Follow your passions and your commitment, and if you have those skills and attributes from your education you will have a satisfying and fulfilling life.” 

Mr Gibson, a former Sydney Morning Herald journalist, has made a career out of helping ordinary Australians to save money through his work at One Big Switch, his books Easy Money and Kill Bills, and as a columnist at Nine and Today. 

He is one of ten Trinitarians in his extended family; he was Dux from Years 2 to 12 and the last person to be both Dux and School Captain. 

He majored in English literature and film at Sydney University but said it was not necessarily the knowledge he learned that was important, but the skills accumulated along the way. 

He described AI as “a high-tech parrot” regurgitating and assembling information and thoughts provided by humans.  

“Mimicry is not the essence of creativity. It saves a lot of time, but time is a critical ingredient in making things that are high quality and memorable. 

“AI lacks critical faculties … It’s like a bullet train going through a station called Mediocrity. 

“It’s how you harness these tools, curb them, regulate them, and use them for good, not evil, that will determine their role in our society.” 

He told students not to feel guilty if they weren’t sure what to do with their lives. “I’m 46 and I still don’t really know.” 

“Now it’s up to you to use the platform your parents and Trinity have given you and show the outside world what you’re made of.” 

This article originally appeared in our June 2024 Edition of Trinity News which you can view on our online digital bookshelf.