Rovshan Najaf: People must be able to perform certain tasks without AI

People must be able to perform certain tasks without artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovshan Najaf said at the Baku ID 2026 (Baku Investment Day) festival.

Report quotes him as saying today robotics and artificial intelligence are developing rapidly, but traditional skills remain relevant because it is impossible to predict what will happen in the future.

"We must develop the ability to adapt and change our mindset depending on the situation. People must acquire skills both with and without the use of artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as be able to adapt to changing conditions," he said.

Rovshan Najaf noted that vocational schools should teach skills in using artificial intelligence and robotics while simultaneously preserving traditional skills and developing the capacity to learn.

He emphasized that excessive reliance on technology could lead to the loss of important human skills.

"If we lose the capacity for critical judgment and critical thinking by completely shifting everything onto artificial intelligence, it could become an irreversible process. Because what we have already forgotten, we cannot learn to do anew," the SOCAR head noted.