Hunger alone won't get you through the AI shift

Are Singaporeans no longer hungry? Ian's post on this topic riled many. But I don't think hunger alone is adequate in the age of AI.

Here are two other things we will need to get ahead today.

The story so far

Ian wrote about a podcast featuring Shulin Lee on how Singaporeans need to be hungrier to compete against workers from other countries.

It is important to note that this isn't just about whether Singaporeans should be content with lower pay, or do more work for the same pay.

As the latest AI models and agentic tools roil job markets, the more pressing question is whether we will even have jobs to compete for. After all, AI doesn't care about your nationality or PR status.

Here are two other mindsets I think we will need in the days ahead.

Spirit of learning

Most of us stop learning a few years into the job. I found out the hard way in 2023, when most of my writing gigs dried up after ChatGPT came out, after 15 years of consistently higher year-on-year earnings.

I realised that while I had not stopped learning entirely, having expanded from editorial writing to copywriting and editing, I had neglected developing skills in other areas.

I had also never marketed myself, never tried to expand my offerings, or sought to broaden my skills. So in May 2023, I started on LinkedIn, writing daily for most of 2023-2025.

Today, I write more than ever before, without AI. I am involved in marketing initiatives, recording podcasts, and leveraging AI to craft certain content.

Willingness to adapt

I love computers and was trained in IT. In fact, I taught myself C programming from library books instead of revising during my "O" levels year.

After the first few years in IT, I had problems securing new roles. Thankfully, I did find a job in a small local firm after sending out over a hundred resumes.

From there, I adapted and started writing full time on IT topics. It has been a great ride, just not what I planned. Today, I have also expanded into consulting work, marketing collaborations, and using Claude Code to create apps.

Be hungry, too

Don't get me wrong. Being hungry is a good start. But hunger alone is not enough. It must be paired with a strong desire to learn and a willingness to adapt. Hunger gets you started. Learning and adapting take you the rest of the way.

That's why I write my newsletters on weekends, even after a full week of writing professionally. Is it tiring? Of course. Is it comfortable? Not all the time.

But discomfort beats irrelevance. And I'd rather stay sharp than stay safe.

What are you doing to stay relevant?