In a surprising revelation from one of technology's top leaders, Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman has emphasized that soft skills rather than technical coding abilities will be the true differentiators for career success in the artificial intelligence era.
The Human Edge in Artificial Intelligence
Speaking exclusively to CNBC, the head of Amazon's cloud computing division shared that he actively advises his own children to focus on developing critical thinking, adaptability, and communication skills during their college education. This advice comes despite Garman helming one of the world's most technologically advanced companies.
"Develop your critical thinking skills in college, no matter what subject you study," Garman emphasized during the interview conducted in November 2025. He believes that the core purpose of higher education extends beyond skill development to fundamentally shaping how individuals approach problems and solutions.
Three Essential Skills for AI Dominance
Garman identified critical thinking as the "number one, biggest key to success in the age of AI." He explained that while artificial intelligence excels at administrative tasks and data processing, human capabilities in nuanced decision-making and creative problem-solving remain unmatched by technology.
Beyond critical thinking, the AWS chief highlighted two additional crucial abilities: adaptability and communication. "You're going to want to be creative. You're going to want to be good at critical thinking. And you're going to want to be flexible," Garman stated. "The ability to learn new things and adapt is going to be just as important as any particular skill that you learn."
Why Soft Skills Will Outlast Technical Abilities
The technology executive pointed to enduring human preferences in business interactions as evidence that interpersonal skills will maintain their value. "Most customers still want to talk to a person and get personal insights and attention from a human being," Garman observed. "Those people skills are going to continue to be super important for a long time."
Garman's perspective challenges the conventional emphasis on technical training, suggesting instead that skills that AI cannot replicate will become increasingly valuable in the job market. His comments reflect a growing recognition among technology leaders that human qualities will complement rather than be replaced by artificial intelligence capabilities.
The AWS CEO concluded that soft skills are "important today" but will become "just as important, if not more important" as artificial intelligence continues to transform workplaces and industries worldwide.
