Harnessing the Power of Dyslexic Thinkers and AI: An Unstoppable Force for Workplace Transformation

Kate Griggs, from Global Charity, Made By Dyslexia looks at the AI revolution and how one group of individuals stands out as uniquely positioned to unlock AI’s full potential: Dyslexic Thinkers.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a revolution that is reshaping workplaces across the globe. But one group of individuals stands out as uniquely positioned to unlock AI’s full potential: Dyslexic Thinkers. In collaboration with Richard Branson and Virgin, we launched the DyslexAI campaign highlighting the synergy between Dyslexic Thinkers and AI, demonstrating how this partnership can bring about positive transformations and future-proof businesses.

There are a number of compelling reasons why Dyslexic Thinkers and AI form an unstoppable force for success; from the skills AI can’t replace, to being curious big-picture thinkers – AI & Dyslexic Thinking has the potential to be an unstoppable force.

Soft Skills that AI Cannot Replace:

While AI has made significant strides in replicating various skills, it falls short in replacing the sought-after “soft” or “power” skills crucial in today’s workplace. Skills such as creativity, adaptability, leadership, innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking are inherent in Dyslexic Thinking. These skills, highlighted in the World Economic Forum’s “Skills for the Future” report, are highly valued by employers. While AI cannot replace these skills, it can complement them, amplifying the impact of Dyslexic Thinkers in the workplace.

AI as an Innovative Co-pilot for Dyslexic Thinkers:

Recent research suggests that AI serves as an ideal co-pilot for Dyslexic Thinkers, empowering them to innovate. AI excels at quickly aggregating vast amounts of information, enabling Dyslexic Thinkers to access valuable content efficiently. It also generates initial drafts or templates that can be easily adapted, saving Dyslexic Thinkers from challenging tasks like extensive reading and creating drafts. By leveraging AI, Dyslexic Thinkers can fully embrace their unique thinking style, leading to enhanced innovation. In fact, 72% of dyslexics perceive AI tools, such as ChatGPT, as valuable starting points to apply their Dyslexic Thinking and drive innovation.

Dyslexic Thinkers: Asking the Right Questions, AI Providing the Answers:

Successful utilisation of AI platforms like ChatGPT relies on asking the right questions. Dyslexic Thinkers possess a natural inclination for questioning and exploring, enabling them to ask insightful and impactful questions. Their ability to see the bigger picture, think creatively, and approach problems from unique angles ensures they extract relevant and essential information from AI. An impressive number of dyslexics excel in the Dyslexic Thinking skill of Reasoning, which involves understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities, and making decisions. This proficiency not only makes Dyslexic Thinkers valuable contributors to any team in terms of generating innovative solutions but also equips them with an advantage in maximizing the potential of AI platforms.

Dyslexic Thinkers as Skilled Storytellers:

Storytelling has been at the core of human communication for centuries. Dyslexic Thinkers possess exceptional storytelling abilities, crucial in simplifying complex information and conveying it effectively to others. With the rise of information overload in the digital age, dyslexics excel at distilling the essence of a story and delivering it in a clear and relatable way. In fact, dyslexics index above average in the soft or power skill of Communicating, allowing them to cut through the noise and craft engaging stories. Combined with their high levels of emotional intelligence and their ability to connect with others, dyslexics are adept at sharing compelling narratives that resonate with audiences.

Dyslexics Are Adaptable and Curious Innovators:

As AI continues to evolve fast, our workforces will need to upskill and reskill speedily to integrate its capabilities effectively – and they must be willing to embrace change. Dyslexics are curious, adaptable and embrace change and new ideas.

Already our research has found that dyslexics are enthusiastic early adopters of the evolving technology – seeing it as a powerful tool to turbocharge their valuable Dyslexic Thinking skills in the workplace. This curiosity and adaptability can be a valuable asset when working with AI, as the field is rapidly evolving and requires constant adaptation to new technologies and methodologies and a natural ability and passion to think differently and innovate.

There is no doubt that we are experiencing a revolution when it comes to what AI will mean for our workplaces. But the question organisations must also ask themselves is do they have the talent in their teams to fully exploit this new and fast-evolving technology? Dyslexics are perfectly placed to unlock the opportunities that AI presents. And all the evidence suggests that AI will help to turbocharge the skills that dyslexics bring to the workplace and which AI cannot replace. Together they are an unstoppable combination to move any business forward.

Dyslexics possess a natural curiosity – we all need to empower this curiosity to fill the skills gap and make each workplace future ready. That is why we are creating free training in partnership with LinkedIn and we’re asking all businesses, worldwide, to take the training when it is released later this year.

Sign up to promise to empower and employ #DyslexicThinking and get involved.

By Kate Griggs, CEO & Founder of Made By Dyslexia

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