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EEC 408: How to Thrive (Not Just Survive) in the Age of AI, with Steff VanHaverbeke

Nov 18, 2025

Steff VanHaverbeke, an AI adoption coach and author, shares insights on thriving alongside artificial intelligence. She emphasizes the importance of 'cognitive agility' and outlines five irreplaceable human skills: flexible thinking, emotional intelligence, collaborative intelligence, intuition, and innovation. Steff introduces the concept of 'Superworkers' and how they can achieve up to three times productivity gains. She contrasts human capabilities with AI, highlighting why empathy and innovation keep humans indispensable in the workforce.

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INSIGHT

Five Human Skills That Matter

Steff Vanhaverbeke identifies five human skills AI can't replace: flexible thinking, emotional intelligence, collaborative intelligence, intuition, and innovation.
These meta-skills will determine human value in an AI-pervasive workplace.

ADVICE

Plan Prompts Before You Ask

Think one step ahead before prompting AI: define desired outcomes, hurdles, and key context first.
Ask the AI to craft a precise prompt from your notes so you get clearer, faster results.

ANECDOTE

When Bots Fail Customer Care

Steff described neighborhood internet outages where the company's chatbot failed to resolve urgent issues.
The experience prompted her to switch providers because she needed human empathy and timely action.

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Steff Vanhaverbeke is a Lecturer and AI Adoption Coach at Syntra, where she empowers professionals and entrepreneurs to navigate the fast-changing landscape of artificial intelligence.

How can professionals develop "cognitive agility" to thrive alongside AI rather than fear being replaced?
What are the five human skills that AI can't automate, and why are they crucial for career security?
What is an AI Agent?
What is the "Superworker" methodology and how does it deliver 3x productivity gains?

Steff VanHaverbeke

Steff Vanhaverbeke is a Lecturer and AI Adoption Coach at Syntra, where she empowers professionals and entrepreneurs to navigate the fast-changing landscape of artificial intelligence. With a sharp eye for both human potential and technological innovation, she guides learners in understanding, integrating, and confidently using AI tools to enhance their work without losing their human edge.

Steff brings over 28 years of experience in coaching, facilitation, and training to the classroom, blending cognitive agility, systems thinking, and practical tech know-how into every session. Her teaching goes beyond tooltips and trends, she creates safe, interactive learning environments where participants develop critical thinking, creative resilience, and a clear vision of their role in an AI-augmented world.

Her mission: help people become not just users of technology, but adaptive thinkers and ethical decision-makers in a world shaped by it.

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