I think it’s quite true that polymaths can go far in a way that is more resistant to displacement by machine thought; but if we only look at greatness, we may miss the paths of failure.

We don’t think of a perpetual student as a polymath, but among the ranks of those who simply linger in the shade of the ivory tower are plenty of people who are specialized in learning, make broad connections across fields, and see far, though they may not be recognized, published, or ever considered a success in life or history.

We can celebrate the connections across different field that generate new true insights, but we may also be overlooking the steady patter of generalists who overextended their metaphor and misdiagnosed the unfamiliar problem as a familiar one.

When machines replace humans, not all specialists are simply displaced: This does generate new specialized niches, smaller but real, for humans who specialize in creating, maintaining, and operating those machines.