The rise of mind gyms for human intelligence

Throughout much of human history, there was no need for gyms or structured exercise routines. People maintained their physical fitness naturally through hard labour and physically demanding tasks that filled their daily lives.

Farming, construction, and other forms of manual work were enough to keep bodies strong and active. The concept of weightlifting or strength training for the sake of health and fitness, as we understand it today, was foreign because heavy lifting was an integral part of survival and daily life.

Then came the Industrial Revolution, a turning point that introduced machines to handle the physically strenuous work that humans had been performing for centuries. With machines now lifting heavy loads, ploughing fields, and constructing buildings, the need for manual labour diminished.

Suddenly, people found themselves with less need for physical exertion, and this shift paved the way for the rise of gyms — places where individuals had to intentionally seek out exercise to maintain their physical strength and health.

Realm of cognitive labour

Now, in the 21st century, we are experiencing a similar transformation, but this time in the realm of cognitive labour. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over tasks that once required human intelligence — tasks like data analysis, pattern recognition, scheduling, and even some decision-making. Just as people in the early days of industrialization couldn't imagine machines replacing physical labour, many are now adjusting to the reality of AI handling much of the "heavy lifting" in terms of general intelligence.

The implications of this shift are profound. AI is rapidly advancing, automating tasks that rely on logic, pattern recognition, and rote processing. In doing so, it frees humans from the burden of basic cognitive tasks. But this does not mean humans are becoming redundant.

Quite the opposite. As AI takes over general intelligence tasks, we are being nudged into a new role: one that emphasizes creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving — areas where AI still struggles to replicate human capabilities.

Basic intelligence tasks

This shift is not unlike the transition from physical labour to the need for intentional exercise in gyms. Just as we needed to create spaces for physical health when machines took over our daily exertion, we may now need new ways to exercise and cultivate our minds as AI handles many routine intellectual tasks. The concept of "mental gyms" could become a reality — spaces where individuals focus on nurturing their creativity, emotional depth, ethical reasoning, and higher-order thinking.

In this new era, the challenge for humanity is not to compete with AI in terms of efficiency or speed in basic intelligence tasks, but to cultivate the qualities that set us apart. We must nurture our emotional intelligence, refine our creative problem-solving abilities, and explore deeper realms of human experience — our ethical reasoning, our capacity for innovation, and our ability to empathize and connect with others.

Essentially, this new revolution provides an opportunity to rediscover aspects of human intelligence that have been underutilized. The future of work and human development may be less about routine thinking and more about the creativity, emotional depth, and innovation that machines have yet to master. The real "exercise" for humans in the age of AI will be in these areas, ensuring that we remain irreplaceable in the new world that AI is helping to shape.

Shaukat Ali Khan is the Global Chief Information Officer, The Aga Khan University