Waqas Ahmed — Is Specialisation Over? Cognitive Flexibility and Polymathy in the Age of AI

The World Economic Forum named cognitive flexibility a top workplace skill. Then we started outsourcing our thinking to AI — and losing it. Inside Learning welcomes Waqas Ahmed, author of The Polymath, to discuss why cognitive flexibility is a crucial workplace skill and how outsourcing thinking to AI can erode it. Ahmed defines cognitive flexibility as both the ability to shift between domains and a higher-order capacity to handle complex, ill-structured situations, emphasising versatility as sustained adaptability amid accelerating change. The conversation critiques modern siloed education and work cultures that push specialisation, contrasting them with more holistic, transdisciplinary approaches. Ahmed outlines his work with organisations to build two polymath competencies — versatility (a portfolio of skills and meta-learning to reduce resistance to change) and integration (breaking silo culture through interdisciplinary collaboration and interactional expertise). He argues current LLMs tend toward safe, convergent outputs and describes the Da Vinci AI project aimed at provoking divergent, human-led creativity. In this conversation, Waqas reveals: The two-tier definition of cognitive flexibility — and why Rand Spiro's "ill-structured domains" version matters most at work Why versatility beats agility: adapting once is easy, adapting consistently is the skill How pre-Renaissance thinkers were transdisciplinary by default — and how we built the silos Multidisciplinary vs interdisciplinary vs transdisciplinary — and why most "multidisciplinary teams" are still guarding their turf Why transformation projects fail: resistance to change is a legacy of specialisation The 1800s factory manager test — why meditation went from "doing nothing" to a productivity tool The two polymath competencies Waqas builds in organisations: versatility and integration What "interactional expertise" is — knowing enough to ask an expert a meaningful question Why today's LLMs converge on the statistical mean — and what the Da Vinci AI project is doing differently Why radical innovation comes from synthesising diverse perspectives Chapters: 00:00 Podcast Intro Learnovate 00:15 Why Cognitive Flexibility 02:01 Defining Flexibility and Versatility 05:06 Specialisation vs Polymath Mindset 06:40 From Renaissance to Transdisciplinary 10:11 Workplace Resistance and Side Projects 11:37 Culture Shift and Productivity Myths 16:38 AI Time and Polymath Skills 20:07 Integration Beats Silo Culture 23:43 Limits of LLMs and Divergent Thinking 26:15 Da Vinci AI and Human Creativity 28:07 Wrap Up Where to Find Waqas 29:04 Closing Credits Learnovate Find Waqas: The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility (Wiley) https://www.davinci-network.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/waqaspolymath  About Waqas Ahmed Waqas Ahmed is the author of The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility (Wiley) and founder of the DaVinci Network, a global movement dedicated to unlocking the many-sided potential of humans. A recognised authority on multidisciplinary thinking, his work spans art, neuroscience and international affairs. He works with organisations and their leadership teams to build the polymath competencies of versatility and integration. About Inside Learning Inside Learning dives into learning science and the future of work, featuring learning experts from around the world each month. Topics span AI, neurodiversity, creativity, unlearning, leadership, ethics, VR, blended learning, performance, and skills. The podcast is designed to make you think, question and learn. Hosted by author, consultant and Keynote Speaker on Innovation Aidan McCullen, Inside Learning is produced by Learnovate, the future-of-work and learning research centre based at Trinity College Dublin and funded by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. Subscribe to Inside Learning wherever you listen. 🌐 https://learnovatecentre.org 🎙️ https://learnovatecentre.org/insights/podcasts/ 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/learnovate-centre