Why Do We Need Speed Reading Faster in the Age of AI?
Why do we need speed reading faster now more than ever? Because of competition, i.e. AI. 🙂
As AI continues to advance, processing and analysing information at unprecedented speeds, humans must find ways to keep up and stay relevant. The rise of AI is reshaping industries, leading to job losses in some fields – a ‘winter’ for certain professions – making it crucial for individuals to enhance their adaptability and cognitive agility to thrive in an evolving job market.
It might seem counterintuitive to write a book on speed reading when AI can perform reading tasks faster and more efficiently, but in reality, speed reading remains a crucial skill for human adaptability and cognitive agility – keep reading and you’ll know why speed reading is still relevant – and maybe more than ever.
Speed reading is not just about reading faster; it’s about adapting to an era where information is abundant, and the ability to quickly comprehend and synthesise knowledge can set individuals apart. AI may process data, but humans must still make sense of it, apply critical thinking, and innovate within and beyond what AI can do or predict.
Why Speed Reading Still Matters in the Age of AI
In a world where artificial intelligence can process, analyse, and summarise vast amounts of information in seconds, the role of human reading and comprehension is evolving. Speed reading, once considered a crucial skill for navigating information overload, may seem less relevant when AI can do all the heavy lifting. However, a deeper look suggests that speed reading can still hold a vital and unexpected role – one that resembles the groundbreaking Move 37 in the historic AlphaGo match.
Move 37: When Human Creativity Meets AI Precision
Move 37’s brilliance lay in its unpredictability – something speed reading can also embrace. Just as AlphaGo’s decision defied conventional wisdom, effective speed reading strategies can go beyond traditional methods by leveraging pattern recognition, contextual awareness, and rapid synthesis of knowledge. (Norman & Cisek, 2010).
In 2016, during the AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol match, the world of artificial intelligence and human ingenuity collided in a fascinating way. Move 37, a seemingly bizarre and unconventional decision made by the AI, was initially dismissed as an error. However, it turned out to be a stroke of genius – something outside of human intuition but strategically brilliant.
This moment signified that AI could surpass human strategy in ways never thought possible – but it also highlighted something even more critical: humans must adapt and find new ways to leverage AI rather than compete with it. Speed reading, much like strategic thinking in Go, may need to evolve to maintain relevance, but it is far from obsolete.
NB Our first book Spd Rdng: The Speed Reading Bible lists 37 speed reading techniques.
AI Can Read, But Can It Understand Context Like a Human?
AI can process data and understand context when provided, even anticipating multiple scenarios that are beyond human capability by leveraging vast amounts of knowledge and computational power (as demonstrated by Move 37 (Silver et al., 2016)). Speed reading, when combined with AI, could become an enhanced skill rather than a replaced one. AI can already summarise, interpret context, and anticipate multiple scenarios beyond human capability by leveraging vast knowledge and computational power. For instance:
- AI can summarise and interpret. Machines can condense a book into bullet points while also analysing subtext, bias, and nuanced arguments at a scale that surpasses human capacity.
- Speed reading complements AI-assisted learning. Rather than relying solely on AI-generated summaries, speed readers can quickly scan original sources, validate AI insights, and engage more critically with information.
- Decision-making benefits from AI integration. In a fast-paced world, AI can process vast data quickly, while speed readers enhance this by applying judgement, ethics, and creative thinking – an essential balance in leadership and research.
The Winter Flowers Analogy: Resilience and Adaptation
The winter flowers analogy also applies to how speed reading techniques must adapt to an AI-driven world (Smith, 2020). Speed reading is no longer just about absorbing text faster – it’s about strategic reading. By learning when to skim, when to deep-dive, and when to cross-reference AI-generated summaries, readers can develop a hybrid skillset that ensures they remain intellectually agile.
The rise of AI also threatens job losses across various fields, creating what could be considered a ‘winter’ for some professions. Just as winter flowers have developed resilience to survive harsh conditions, professionals must now develop adaptability and cognitive agility to remain competitive. Acquiring new skills such as speed reading and critical thinking will be essential for navigating the changing landscape of work and ensuring long-term career security.
Consider the remarkable winter flowers that bloom despite harsh conditions. These flowers, through thermogenesis, generate their own heat, melting surrounding snow and ensuring survival. Similarly, speed reading can act as a human cognitive adaptation in an AI-driven world. It allows individuals to:
- Stay ahead of AI dependency. Those who rely entirely on AI for reading and comprehension may lose the ability to process complex information on their own.
- Engage with AI on a deeper level. Speed readers can validate AI outputs, question assumptions, and use machine-generated insights as stepping stones for deeper thought.
- Retain intellectual autonomy. Just as winter flowers don’t wait for spring to bloom, speed readers won’t wait for AI to dictate what they should know. They take charge of their learning and comprehension.
The Future: Humans and AI as a Cognitive Synergy
It’s also worth addressing a common counterargument: if AI becomes advanced enough, will speed reading still be necessary? The answer is yes, because AI alone cannot dictate which information is most valuable to an individual in a given context. Humans still need to read and assess whether the information meets their specific needs, aligns with their goals, and is relevant in the given situation. AI can assist in filtering data, but speed readers bring human insight, intuition, and prioritisation skills into the equation. The ability to quickly process AI outputs while maintaining independent critical thinking will be crucial in the future.
Speed reading is not about racing against AI; it’s about working with it. Much like how Move 37 demonstrated that unconventional thinking (human or AI-driven) can change the game, speed reading – when combined with AI– can revolutionise how humans interact with information. The future will belong to those who can leverage AI while sharpening their own cognitive abilities (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2017).
Just as winter flowers don’t succumb to the cold but use it to their advantage (Jones, 2018), speed readers in the AI era will thrive not by replacing their skills with technology, but by integrating the two to become even more powerful thinkers. In a world where AI is rapidly reshaping industries, those who master speed reading will gain a crucial edge – enabling them to process information faster, think critically, and pivot to new opportunities before others even realise the need to adapt.
Speed reading offers foresight and a guarantee for survival in a rapidly changing AI age, ensuring that individuals can anticipate shifts, upskill proactively, and secure their place in the evolving workforce. Developing this skill isn’t just beneficial – it’s essential for survival in an AI-driven job market where resilience and continuous learning determine success.
And that’s why we’ve written Speed Reading Faster…
References
- Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2017). Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future. W.W. Norton & Company.
- Cisek, J., & Norman, S. (2025). Speed Reading Faster. Watkins Books.
- Jones, M. (2018). Surviving the Cold: Nature’s Ingenious Solutions. HarperCollins.
- Norman, S., & Cisek, J. (2010). Spd Rdng: The Speed Reading Bible. Saffire Press.
- Silver, D., et al. (2016). Mastering the Game of Go with Deep Neural Networks and Tree Search. Nature.
- Smith, L. (2020). Adaptive Learning Strategies in the Digital Age. Oxford University Press.