Human Intelligence Evolution in the AI Era: From IQ -> EQ -> SQ

Katherine Lizardo

Mar 16 (edited) • 🧠Brain Dump🗑️♻️

Bear with me...this is a long post, but I promise it's worth it! 🥰

Briefly, if you’re using AI to search for information, you haven’t fully used AI.

AI is not about accessing information instantly. Google did that a long time ago.

AI is about how to use that information. AI is about implementing information.

That’s why most conversations about AI talk about the fear that it will replace humans.

Which leads me to my main point…

I have a different perspective:

👉 AI may actually help us become better human beings.

What do I mean?

As AI takes over more information processing and implementation…

It removes humans from many thinking tasks that once consumed our time AWAY FROM what matters most.

As that happens, human value shifts from what we know to how we relate to others.

My belief is that as AI continues to expand, the real advantage will belong to people who live and lead with emotional intelligence (EQ) and social intelligence (SQ).

Simply, as AI makes it easier to implement information, the most valuable humans will be those who understand people.

Understanding this shift in humanity can help navigate the future of family, work, leadership, community, and even how we raise the next generation.

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HOW IS HUMAN INTELLIGENCE EVOLVING?

Human intelligence is evolving from a focus on IQ (general intelligence) toward emotional intelligence (EQ) and social intelligence (SQ).

As artificial intelligence accelerates information and implementation, the uniquely human abilities of empathy, compassion, and social awareness are becoming increasingly valuable.

Here’s my simplified definitions:

IQ is about our outside world - how we understand, learn, and analyze information

EQ is about you - how you regulate and understand your own emotions, which in turn help construct your thoughts, words, and actions

SQ is about us - how we understand ourselves in relation to another person or group of people, so we can act wisely in certain human relationships. This is about being intelligent in and about our relationships.

Empathy.

Compassion.

Collaboration.

Trust.

These are qualities that strengthen families, businesses, and communities.

In an increasingly interconnected world, social intelligence will be one of the most valuable human abilities. But many don’t realize it…yet.

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MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

I’ve always been interested in social intelligence…even before I discovered it was called that.

My lived experience became my research lab. I was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States as a teenager.

At the time, there was no social media. No Google search. No easy way to learn instantly how a new culture worked.

So, I relied on what I had: my observation skills.🥰

I had to learn by observing people carefully.

How people communicated.

How groups interacted.

How cultural norms shaped behavior.

Most importantly, after observing them…I became curious…about human beings. I started asking “why.”

Why do people communicate that way?

Why do certain groups interact that way?

Why are certain cultural norms shaping behavior?

I honed my social intelligence skills in understanding the different social environments I experienced:

When I went to high school in the US, starting in 11th grade
When I went to a huge college campus at UCLA
When I went to a competitive law school with my ADHD accommodations
When I worked at high-stakes law firms as a lawyer
When I pursued diverse careers, including entrepreneurship
When I got married
When I became a mom of 2

Those experiences helped me develop social intelligence early in life and beyond.

👉 What really emphasized this valuable skill for me was a comment made by one of my bosses 2 decades ago. She said I was a chameleon. 🦎

When I asked her what she meant, she said, “Because I can put you in front of anyone and you can relate to them… regardless of age, gender, or socio-economic background!”

Her comment stuck with me since then. That’s when I started to understand the power of social intelligence.

Social intelligence allowed me to adapt, collaborate, and connect wherever I went.

✨ Social intelligence has been my secret weapon in life.

That’s why I want to share with you what I have been thinking about for a while now in this AI era through this post…

✨ And this is what I want to share next in depth inside this community…

Because no one is talking about it yet.

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So, I’m curious to hear from you.

❓Do you think emotional intelligence… and social intelligence… will become some of the most valuable skills in the AI era?

You can answer in whatever way feels easiest:

• Yes — and why you think so

• Not necessarily — share your perspective