E33: The Skills AI Can't Replace and Why They Matter More Than Ever
Fri Feb 06 2026
In this thought-provoking session, the Liminal Collective team takes the stage to explore the one advantage that will matter most as AI accelerates—being human. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience working with Olympic athletes, elite military units, Fortune 50 companies, creatives, and high-stakes performers, this episode reframes success in the AI era around self-awareness, character, creativity, and human performance.
Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, this conversation challenges listeners to ask deeper questions: Who are you when things get hard? How do you perform under pressure? And how do you build yourself—not just your skills—to thrive alongside increasingly intelligent machines? This episode offers a powerful lens for navigating the future by strengthening the one thing AI can't replace.
Timeline Highlights [00:00] Why the rapid expansion of AI creates a rare opportunity to refocus on the human side
[01:04] Introduction to the Liminal Collective and their work with elite performers
[02:15] Shifting perspective from tools to the human–machine relationship
[03:47] Collapsing decades of elite performance into practical human models
[06:05] The 70-20-10 framework for winning today, tomorrow, and long-term
[08:16] Case study training cyber warriors and elite performers without screens
[10:59] Self-awareness as the foundation of performance under pressure
[13:23] Simple human optimizers that dramatically improve cognitive performance
[16:20] Advanced methods for brain recovery, creativity, and resilience
[20:49] Digital twins and the future of human performance optimization
[23:20] Brain-computer interfaces and the ethical frontier of AI
[27:14] When knowledge becomes free, what gives humans value
[28:22] The human-machine paradox and the return to empathy and character
[32:12] Why character now matters more than competence
[35:01] Creativity as a trainable skill and competitive advantage
[38:11] The three future superpowers: character, creativity, and meaning
[44:00] Letting machines do the heavy lifting so humans can lead with empathy
Five Key Takeaways The faster AI advances, the more valuable human skills become. Self-awareness and character determine performance under pressure. Creativity is not a talent—it's a trainable advantage. Knowledge alone will no longer differentiate people or businesses. The future belongs to those who master human–machine collaboration.
Closing If this episode challenged the way you think about AI, leadership, and what it means to perform at a high level, be sure to follow, rate, review, and share the podcast. Your support helps us continue bringing conversations that prepare you not just for the future of business—but for the future of being human.
We'll see you in the next episode.
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In this thought-provoking session, the Liminal Collective team takes the stage to explore the one advantage that will matter most as AI accelerates—being human. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience working with Olympic athletes, elite military units, Fortune 50 companies, creatives, and high-stakes performers, this episode reframes success in the AI era around self-awareness, character, creativity, and human performance. Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, this conversation challenges listeners to ask deeper questions: Who are you when things get hard? How do you perform under pressure? And how do you build yourself—not just your skills—to thrive alongside increasingly intelligent machines? This episode offers a powerful lens for navigating the future by strengthening the one thing AI can't replace. Timeline Highlights [00:00] Why the rapid expansion of AI creates a rare opportunity to refocus on the human side [01:04] Introduction to the Liminal Collective and their work with elite performers [02:15] Shifting perspective from tools to the human–machine relationship [03:47] Collapsing decades of elite performance into practical human models [06:05] The 70-20-10 framework for winning today, tomorrow, and long-term [08:16] Case study training cyber warriors and elite performers without screens [10:59] Self-awareness as the foundation of performance under pressure [13:23] Simple human optimizers that dramatically improve cognitive performance [16:20] Advanced methods for brain recovery, creativity, and resilience [20:49] Digital twins and the future of human performance optimization [23:20] Brain-computer interfaces and the ethical frontier of AI [27:14] When knowledge becomes free, what gives humans value [28:22] The human-machine paradox and the return to empathy and character [32:12] Why character now matters more than competence [35:01] Creativity as a trainable skill and competitive advantage [38:11] The three future superpowers: character, creativity, and meaning [44:00] Letting machines do the heavy lifting so humans can lead with empathy Five Key Takeaways The faster AI advances, the more valuable human skills become. Self-awareness and character determine performance under pressure. Creativity is not a talent—it's a trainable advantage. Knowledge alone will no longer differentiate people or businesses. The future belongs to those who master human–machine collaboration. Closing If this episode challenged the way you think about AI, leadership, and what it means to perform at a high level, be sure to follow, rate, review, and share the podcast. Your support helps us continue bringing conversations that prepare you not just for the future of business—but for the future of being human. We'll see you in the next episode.