Canva: How to Thrive in the Age of AI
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According to CNBC, Jennie Rogerson, Canva's Chief People Officer, explained that the two qualities the company values most when hiring are curiosity and the ability to take initiative.
Canva, one of the world's most popular graphic design platforms, believes that technical skills are still important when deciding whom to hire, but that they can also be learned later on.
In today's economy, where artificial intelligence can provide technical answers for free and within seconds, the real value lies in people who continue to learn and actively contribute to improving the company through insights and problem-solving skills, thereby going beyond the responsibilities of their formal role (source: "Job Candidates Need These 2 AI-Proof Traits to Get Hired, Says Canva's Chief People Officer: It's a 'Baseline'," CNBC).
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from This News
People and Human Experience Are What Make the Difference in Today's Business
I believe this CNBC article contains one of the most important lessons on how we can continue to thrive in any industry without being replaced by artificial intelligence.
Let's start with one assumption: AI is important, and technological progress deserves our trust and investment.
But the true engine of business growth has always been, and always will be, human beings (source: "Leading Businesses Reveal the Power of Combining Human Ingenuity with AI," Microsoft).
I'll say it again: AI is essential, and the world's leading companies make extensive use of it.
But ultimately, the best ideas still come from people.
Think for a moment about SEO.
It's not true that organic traffic is dead; what's really dead is the old approach of publishing generic articles like "What Is [...]" simply to answer basic questions, because AI now handles this type of content instantly, without users even having to visit a website (source: "Is Blogging Dead," Business Decision Lab).
The only way to remain relevant, then, is to offer something AI cannot generate on its own:
- Firsthand experience.
- Original insights.
- Real-world case studies.
- Evidence-backed opinions.
If you've personally tested a strategy and discuss it from firsthand experience while offering insider insights, you're creating value that goes far beyond the information anyone can ask a chatbot for.
Hiring works exactly the same way, as the Canva article demonstrates.
Canva doesn't care whether an employee is exceptionally skilled with design software or the best in the world at following instructions to the letter.
Canva - and, I imagine, most multinational companies as well - looks for people who notice when a process can be streamlined, when customers keep running into the same problem, or when a task is wasting everyone's time, and who propose a solution instead of simply doing what they're told.
That's where real value is created.
Skills can be taught, software can be replaced, and even business models evolve over time.
But a team made up of people who observe, question, and constantly look for better ways to work creates a competitive advantage that lasts far longer than any technology.
If we want to avoid being overtaken by AI, we need to start thinking about how to become indispensable in every field.
One simple way to assess whether a business or new venture could be cannibalized by AI is to ask yourself one question: if someone had access to the best AI model in the world, could they replicate what I do without me?
If the answer is yes, your competitive edge is based entirely on execution, and that value declines year after year.
If the answer is no, identify exactly why.
Maybe your advantage comes from the relationships you've built over time, your hands-on experience, or the trust you've earned with your audience.
These are assets AI cannot replicate.
The goal is not to compete with artificial intelligence by producing content faster or at a lower cost; it's about combining artificial intelligence with the skills that only human beings can provide.
The more your work depends on firsthand experience, the harder it becomes for any technology to replace you.