CFTE Launches Human Intelligence Certification to Address Growing Concerns Over Declining Thinking in the Workplace

London, United Kingdom Apr 2, 2026 (EMWNews.com) – The Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) today announced the launch of the Human Intelligence Certification (HIC), a new global qualification designed to assess and validate professionals’ ability to think independently in an increasingly AI-mediated workplace.

The initiative comes as organisations accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence while encountering a less discussed challenge: the growing difficulty of distinguishing between well-generated outputs and well-reasoned ones.

According to CFTE, the certification responds to a widening capability gap between the ability to produce structured answers and the ability to form an original, accountable view.

From AI Capability to Human Judgement

The Human Intelligence Certification is designed to evaluate core human capabilities that remain critical in professional environments, including independent reasoning, judgement under uncertainty, attention stability, and the ability to engage critically with machine-generated outputs.

The programme introduces a series of practical assessments reflecting real-world conditions that are becoming increasingly uncommon, such as:

• Writing a coherent note without assistance
• Forming an opinion before requesting a summary
• Identifying when a convincing answer is incorrect
• Sustaining attention without switching context
• Responding to “What do you think?” with an actual point of view

An advanced assessment, known as The Blank Page Exercise, requires candidates to begin from an empty document without prompts, templates, or external support.

“For several years, the focus has been on helping individuals and organisations adopt AI. That remains essential. However, as these tools become more embedded, another question is emerging. Can individuals still exercise judgement independently of the systems they rely on? The Human Intelligence Certification is designed to make that capability visible.”

Tram Anh Nguyen, Co-Founder, CFTE

A Growing Regulatory and Systemic Consideration

CFTE noted that the certification also reflects increasing attention from regulators and institutions on the human layer of AI-driven decision-making.

“I have previously used the term ‘AI idiots’ to describe a potential outcome of widespread reliance on intelligent systems: individuals who are highly capable of interacting with them, but progressively less engaged in independent judgement. From a regulatory perspective, this is not a trivial concern. If decisions are accepted because they are well-presented rather than well-understood, then issues of accountability, governance, and risk management become significantly more complex.”

Douglas Arner, Professor of Law and Finance, specialising in financial regulation and digital innovation

Assessment Methodology

The Human Intelligence Certification is structured around five modules designed to evaluate human performance under realistic conditions:

Module 1: Independent Writing

Candidates must produce a structured argument without AI assistance, autocomplete, or external drafting support.

Module 2: Memory and Recall

Participants are required to retain and articulate key points from a discussion without requesting a recording, transcript, or summary.

Module 3: Judgement and Discernment

Candidates assess a series of authoritative-sounding statements and determine which are accurate, misleading, or simply well-written.

Module 4: Sustained Attention

A monitored exercise requiring uninterrupted focus for a defined period without notifications, secondary tabs, or optimisation techniques.

Module 5: Human Interaction

A live conversation in which candidates must engage, respond, and maintain coherence without deferring to a system or requesting time to “refine the answer”.

Candidates who successfully complete the assessment will receive the designation Certified Human Intelligence Professional. High-performing candidates may be awarded a Distinction in Original Thought, subject to verification.

An Emerging Capability Gap

CFTE believes the certification reflects a broader shift in how value is created in an AI-enabled environment. As the cost of generating content decreases, the premium is moving toward the ability to interpret, challenge, and take responsibility for it.

The organisation noted that while AI literacy remains a foundational capability, it is no longer sufficient on its own.

In parallel, CFTE is developing an organisational benchmarking framework to help institutions assess levels of independent judgement across teams and identify areas of unmanaged reliance on machine-generated outputs.

Early discussions suggest particular interest from financial institutions, public sector organisations, and managers seeking to better understand the difference between fluent communication and sound reasoning.

Notes to Editors

About the Human Intelligence Certification

The Human Intelligence Certification (HIC) is a new capability framework developed by CFTE to assess and recognise human strengths that remain critical in an AI-enabled workplace. The certification focuses on independent thinking, judgement, originality, and the ability to engage critically with information.

Use of generative AI during the examination is not permitted, except in the hallucination detection component, where it is strongly encouraged.

About CFTE

The Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE) is a global platform focused on building capabilities in finance, technology, and the future of work. Headquartered in London, with offices in Singapore and Abu Dhabi, CFTE has reached more than 200,000 participants across 130 countries through programmes designed for individuals, organisations, and governments.

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