As a Gen Zer who works in journalism, thinking about how AI could change the future of work is a little daunting. I don’t know the first thing about coding, machine learning, robotics or data science. 

Luckily, these knowledge gaps won’t make or break my ability to be successful in the AI era, according to millionaire entrepreneur Scott Galloway. A more counterintuitive skill will be the most valuable.

“If I could give my 13- and 16-year-old one competence that I think would stand the test of time, it’d be storytelling,” Galloway told CNBC Make It, after a live recording of Vox’s “Pivot” podcast at South by Southwest last month.

The type of storytelling may not matter, because the platforms people use to communicate can rapidly change. The important part is developing an “ability to write well, an ability to articulate ideas and an ability to present ideas with data, infographics, slideshows,” Galloway said.

“We don’t know if in five years some neural network is going to replace ChatGPT,” he added. “We don’t know if coding is going to be outdated.”

Finding a way to be an expert in your field is a good way to become successful, no matter what else happens around you, Galloway pointed out.

“The specific crowds out the general,” he said. “Find a niche, no matter how narrow it is, and try and own it. Commit to being one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on a domain. ... You’re never going to be an expert in anything if you don’t enjoy it.”

As a journalist, storytelling is practically in my DNA. And though I’m still figuring out what exactly my niche is and what kinds of stories I enjoy telling the most, I feel at ease knowing that I won’t need to take a robotics class to be successful in the future.

CNBC