ST-SMU Education Forum: In the first of a four-part series on the future of work, MIT research scientist Dr Andrew McAfee discussed how workers can race with smart machines. He noted that the education system is in need of an overhaul as the current system is turning out the kind of workers we needed 50 years ago. "We are training people to be good at things where machines are better, which is a very big mistake. No point focusing on the ability to memorise facts, the ability to do routine tasks, the ability to do simple maths - computers are better at all those things than we are," said Dr McAfee. "We need intellectual curiosity, problem solving, group work, creativity and self-direction - very, very different kinds of skills."