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Curiosity in the Age of AI
Why Efficiency Alone Is No Longer Enough
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AI is accelerating everything: decisions, processes, insights, and expectations. Organisations are becoming faster, more efficient, and increasingly automated.
And yet, this acceleration introduces a subtle but serious risk.
The greatest misconception about AI is not that it will replace us, but that it may slowly untrain us — from thinking, doubting, and wandering beyond the obvious. As reliance on AI grows, we risk confusing efficiency with direction, speed with meaning, and comfort with development.
Curiosity is a powerful antidote. It helps us resist extremes, consider multiple perspectives, and stay open when answers arrive too quickly. Curiosity thrives in friction, slowness, and the discomfort of not knowing — precisely the conditions AI tends to remove.
In this talk, we will explore the ins and outs of curiosity, how AI changes the role of curiosity, why efficiency can quietly erode judgment, and how leaders and HR can intentionally strengthen curiosity as a human capability for sense-making, balance, and better questions in an automated world.
In this session, we explore curiosity beyond the obvious — not as a mindset or a value, but as a human capability that becomes increasingly critical as AI accelerates and efficiency takes over.
Stefaan van Hooydonk is the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute and the author of the bestselling book "The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto." He initially worked in investment consulting and established executive education at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in China. Van Hooydonk has held executive roles as Chief Learning Officer in Fortune 200 companies such as Nokia, Royal Philips, Cognizant, Saudi Aramco, Agfa, and Flipkart. He has lived and worked in Belgium, France, Hong Kong, China, Finland, the Netherlands, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. His most recent position was as Chief Learning Officer for Cognizant, where he oversaw learning and development for over 300,000 associates worldwide.
Stefaan van Hooydonk focuses his research on workplace curiosity within companies. He asserts that curious individuals require stimulating environments to thrive, especially during times of uncertainty when intentional curiosity becomes crucial. Utilizing diagnostics he has developed, he generates insights into what drives and impedes individuals and organizations from embracing curiosity. He provides consultation to global corporations and leadership teams to enhance their curiosity quotient, advocating for the cultivation of a robust curiosity mindset. Van Hooydonk is a sought-after speaker globally, discussing the transformative power of curiosity for professionals, leaders, teams, and organizations.
I am the 'curiosity guy'. I make leaders curious about the power of curiosity at work and all its wonderful benefits.
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