Critical Skills for Humanity: Existential Intelligence

Why AI Struggles with Big Picture Thinking

Of all the skills, values, and mindsets that we need in order to thrive in the future, perhaps the most underrated and unrecognized one is existential intelligence.

Existential intelligence is the intelligence of big picture thinking. People with existential intelligence tend to be critical thinkers who are unafraid to challenge the norm. It’s the capacity to pose and reflect on the big questions of life: who are we, where do we come from, where are we headed, what is our place in the universe, why do we exist at all, what, indeed, is existence?

These are individuals who have the ability to use metacognition (thinking about thinking, or being aware of ones awareness), ask the big questions and seek answers to them. Existential thinkers typically have the ability to keep the big picture in mind even when they’re caught in the grunt of day-to-day work, which is why a lot of successful entrepreneurs tend to score high on this type of intelligence. They tend to be driven by purpose and contributions larger than their immediate surroundings.

In this substack, I’ll explore a series of critical survival skills in the AI era, starting with Existential Intelligence.

Howard Gardner & Multiple Intelligences

Existential intelligence was first introduced by education expert Howard Gardner, who coined the theory of Multiple Intelligences.

According to Gardner, individuals have varying degrees of intelligence that documents the extent to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways. Gardner proposed that people may possess 7 different types of intelligence: Logical/Mathematical, Musical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. At the time, Gardner also toyed with the idea of including existential/spiritual intelligence.

In theory, this is a pretty remarkable discovery. For the longest time, our society has upheld institutions that value only one kind of intelligence (logical-mathematical), meaning that those who fall short this area but excel in others rarely have the chance to succeed in society. The current education system, standardized testing models, and industry requirements for job seekers is modeled around measuring and hiring for cognitive intelligence. This industrial-era model is completely outdated and in desperate need of reform. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences can be used to propel this reform.

In the context of AI, as education expert Rohan Roberts points out, Gardner’s theory seems increasingly important.

AI and Existential Intelligence

Existential Intelligence is probably the hardest skill for artificial intelligence to successfully accomplish, which is also why it should be a type of intelligence that we deliberately cultivate in young minds and future generations. That said, AI can help us propel and cultivate our existential intelligence by freeing us of mundane daily tasks - something I’ll write about in a later post.

I can think of at least five reasons why existential intelligence is particularly difficult to automate, at least in Generative AI models that we currently use, such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

AI’s have a Limited Context Window

As humans, we have the ability to self-reflect on our previous experiences, draw from them, and make inferences from the future. This shapes our motivations and preferences, both of which feed into existential thought.

Generative AI models, such as those based on transformer architectures, have a limited context window - meaning they can only “consider” a fixed amount of text at any given time.

This restricts their ability to construct and understand long, complex narratives or philosophies that require integrating vast amounts of information over extended discourses. It’s a bit like trying to understand a complex philosophical argument while only being able to read one sentence at a time and forgetting each sentence before moving on to the next. It would obviously make it hard to grasp the overall meaning or engage in deep, coherent existential discussions.

AI’s have Difficulty with Abstract Concepts

AI models struggle with abstract concepts and metaphors that do not have clear, concrete representations in their training data. Existential intelligence often involves grappling with highly abstract ideas (like the concept of "nothingness" or "infinity") that are difficult for AI to process meaningfully beyond reproducing patterns seen in the data.

If you ask an AI to discuss the concept of "freedom," it might pull together quotes and ideas from its training data but struggle to navigate the nuanced, subjective interpretations of freedom that vary by cultural, historical, and personal context. It's like someone knowing the dictionary definition of "freedom" but not understanding what it feels to yearn for freedom or the philosophical debates surrounding it

AI’s Lack Inference and Intuition

Consider the difference between reading about the symptoms of being in love and actually falling in love. AI can infer based on data (like recognizing symptoms) but lacks the intuitive, deeper understanding of human experiences. Discussing existential questions often requires this deeper, intuitive engagement, which AI cannot authentically replicate.

AI’s Fall Short on Creativity and Original Thought

While Generative AI can produce content that appears creative by recombining elements in novel ways, it does not originate new ideas in the way humans do. Existential intelligence often requires a leap of imagination or a shift in perspective that is genuinely original, something AI is fundamentally incapable of as it operates within the boundaries of its training data.

Let’s say you are an entrepreneur envisioning a completely new business model that disrupts the traditional retail industry by integrating augmented reality (AR) for a personalized shopping experience, something that has never been done before. This idea didn't come from merely analyzing current trends but from a leap of imagination, questioning the very nature of shopping and customer interaction. The entrepreneur asks, "What if shopping could be a completely immersive, personalized experience that blends the digital and physical worlds?"

While AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify trends in consumer behavior and preferences, its approach to creativity is fundamentally different. It might suggest enhancing online shopping with AR by drawing on existing data about AR applications and online shopping behaviors. However, AI lacks the existential intelligence to conceptualize a fundamentally new shopping experience from scratch.

AI’s have limited Self-Awareness and Consciousness

At the heart of existential intelligence is the capacity for self-awareness and the conscious reflection on one's own existence. AI lacks self-awareness and the subjective sense of "self" that is crucial for engaging in existential inquiry in a meaningful way. If you use a camera to take a picture of yourself, the camera processes and stores the image but does not recognize its reflection as "self." Similarly, AI can process data about humans and even simulate self-referential conversations, but it does not possess self-awareness or consciousness, limiting its ability to engage in genuine existential contemplation.

Identifying Existential Intelligence

How can you know whether or not you have existential intelligence? And what purpose does existential intelligence serve in society?

Gardner defines existential intelligence as “a concern with ultimate life issues”. A candidate for this intelligence is based on the human proclivity to ponder the most fundamental questions of existence.

Some might assume that this sort of intelligence is only relevant within the context of philosophy or science — let the theologians, philosophers, and astronomers cultivate their existential intelligence while the rest of us focus on other things.

But in a world of accelerating change, automation, and disruption, existential intelligence is becoming increasingly important — within the context of business, on the individual level, and for society at large. Arguably, it is the most important type of intelligence in the current era.

Existential Intelligence & Industry Skills

We live in a world where new-age companies like Uber, Instagram, Airbnb, and Netflix are able to disrupt traditionally linear organizations like Blockbuster and Kodak — overnight.

In other words, we live in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous). As a result, industry trends are constantly being redefined. The successful corporate equation no longer involves perfect competition and passive price-setting. Established companies are changing their policies and their corporate strategy to keep up with these changes. Those that fail quickly find themselves at the bottom rung of the ladder. Meanwhile, several new-age, innovative companies that are information-enabled (like Instagram), are swooping in to take the crown.

In such an era, individuals who possess existential intelligence have an important role to play across any industry. Existential individuals have the following traits to offer:

a. Exponential Mindset

To be a successful leader in the current era of exponential technologies, it’s no longer enough to think linearly. For the longest time, analysts and predictors of future trends analyzed world events linearly. In fact, many of the organizations that have faced disruption were advised by leading intellectuals from companies like McKinsey. This is understandable, given that the linear way of thinking is intuitive to most of us.

But we now need leaders who can think exponentially — and the rise of disruptive organizations sheds light on how important this is.

Consider this short thought experiment proposed by serial entrepreneur and futurist Peter Diamandis.

Suppose you give your child two choices:

Option #1: I give you $1 per day for the next 30 days;

Or

Option #2: I give you a penny on the first day, two cents on the second day, four cents on the third day, eight cents on the fourth day, and so on for 30 days.

Obviously, option #1 nets you $30. This is easy to predict and is the definition of linear.

But option #2 goes from being deceptive to disruptive. If you choose open #32, the first 5 days will only get you 31 cents. But after 30 doublings, you would end up with a payout of an astronomical $10,737,418.24.

This is the promise of exponential growth. Thinking exponentially is critical in order to plan and predict the future of your business.

For example, being aware of exponential trends in technology might deter us from using a particular technology, or might encourage us to speed up the go-to-market for a product in an era where disruption is just around the corner. It might also encourage a leader to strategically utilize an exponential technology for the development of his or her organization. Those who think exponentially also value the power of radical change, can tap into crowds and are unafraid to take risks. Though many traditional organizations today still tend to be risk-averse, in the long-term, the cost of not being experimental as an organization can have dramatic repurcussions on your future success.

b. Big Picture Thinking and Risk-Taking

Being able to zoom out, take a cosmic perspective, and view decisions against the backdrop of the bigger picture is an essential component to ensure future success.

In his 2006 book, “Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice,” Gardner gives the hypothetical example of “Jane,” who runs a company called Hardwick/Davis. “Whereas her managers deal more with the day-to-day operational problems, Jane’s job is to steer the whole ship,” says Gardner. “She must maintain a longer-term outlook, take into account the conductions of the marketplace, set a general direction, align her resources and inspire her employees and customers to stay on board.” In other words, Jane needs to see the big picture; she needs to envision the future — the future needs of the company, customers, and marketplace — and guide the organization in that direction. That ability to see the big picture may be a distinct intelligence — the existential intelligence — says Gardner.

Those who can take a big picture perspective also tend to be unafraid to challenge the status quo, ask difficult questions and take risks. Failure, when viewed against the context of an entire lifespan of opportunities, seems less daunting to an existential thinker.

c. Collective Values and Compassion

Salim Ismail, author of Exponential Organization say that any company that hopes to have a chance of survival in the future must have a Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP).

Unlike a mission or vision statement, an MTP is an organization’s highly aspirational tagline that tries to solve a global issue. Examples are:

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Google: Organize the Worlds Information

XPrize Foundation: Bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity

Singularity University: Positively impact one billion people

An individual with a high degree of existential intelligence will be able to identify an MTP that aligns with the values of billions of people, draw more people into the narrative of the organization, and ensure that an organization lives up to its MTP.

This is because existential thinkers are able to view progress — within an organization or society at large — as a unifying force. They tend to be able to truly comprehend the forces that unite humanity in order to propel forward in the long-run. My guess is that individuals with existential intelligence are less concerned with day to day anxieties and disagreements, and instead more drawn to the bigger picture impact that a decision can have on the large collective of people. Moreover, because of their natural propensity to ask the big questions, these individuals will be able to focus on purpose, or as Simon Sinek says, “start with why”. Asking the “why” behind your motivation to do something — be it in your career or personal life — can be a really powerful mechanism for positive change.

They also tend to be more compassionate because of their desire to be an outsider while at the same time showing a strong interest in society and those around them.

Entrepreneurship, Existential Thinking, and AI

An entrepreneur with high existential intelligence might identify a gap in the market that aligns with a larger societal need or purpose, such as developing a business that tackles food waste by connecting surplus food from restaurants to food banks using an innovative app. This reflects an ability to ask "Why does this issue exist?" and "How can we meaningfully address it?"—questions that stem from a deep understanding of societal structures and a desire to make a positive impact.

While AI can analyze data to identify market gaps, it lacks the existential intelligence to comprehend the societal value or the broader impact of addressing such a gap. AI would not "understand" the purpose behind reducing food waste beyond the numerical data, nor would it initiate such a project out of a sense of moral obligation or a desire to contribute to societal well-being.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom to Innovate

Consider an entrepreneur who questions the very foundation of current educational systems, believing that traditional methods stifle creativity and critical thinking. Motivated by existential intelligence, they develop an educational startup that utilizes a radical new approach to learning, emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, and student-led inquiry, fundamentally challenging and seeking to change how education is approached.

AI can help design educational programs based on existing data about effective learning methods. However, it lacks the existential intelligence to question the underlying premises of education itself or to conceive of a fundamentally new approach to learning that challenges entrenched norms. AI's innovation is constrained to the parameters of existing knowledge and data, without the ability to philosophically reflect on "what could be" beyond "what is."

In these examples, the human entrepreneurs are driven by a deep sense of purpose, a willingness to question and challenge the status quo, and a vision for creating meaningful change—qualities rooted in existential intelligence. AI, by contrast, operates within a predefined framework of data and algorithms. It lacks the capacity for self-driven purpose, moral reflection, and the existential questioning necessary to identify and pursue opportunities that align with broader societal or existential goals. This fundamental difference underscores why AI, despite its powerful analytical capabilities, cannot replicate the depth of existential intelligence that human entrepreneurs bring to innovation and societal problem-solving.

Aside from the positive traits that existential thinkers bring to society, this is a greater need for humanity as a whole to cultivate this skill.

We live in a world of accelerating change. Exponential technologies are ushering in the 4th industrial revolution, which is not only disrupting industries but also changing the way we live and work.

According to McKinsey and the World Economic Forum, 45% of the tasks that human beings do today can be automated using existing technology alone. In a world where everything that can be automated will be automated, we might ask ourselves, what will human beings do? How will we co-exist in a world with intelligent machines? Moreover, how can we ensure that we’re preparing future generations to ethically and responsibly live in the technology era?

Education expert Rohan Roberts draws a connection between A.I. and Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. According to Roberts, the hardest skills to automate — for which A.I. does not exist — are existential intelligence, pedagogical intelligence, and interpersonal intelligence.

If we want to thrive in the future, we need a complete overhaul of the current education system. Currently, schools do not focus on any of the above intelligences — least of all existential intelligence. In other words, the education industry is ripe to be disrupted to align with our future needs.