Lim See Yew, recipient of the 2026 Terry O’Banion Provocateur Award second prize, argues that the current global approach to AI and sustainability, focused mainly on incremental upskilling and reskilling, is deeply flawed. It is in what Lim calls the Factory Logic Trap, applying linear, skills-based solutions to complex, systemic problems. This paper looks at the issue through the lens of human evolution. Lim argues that hybrid intelligence—the collaboration between humans and AI—is the next stage of development, and it is essential. Lim introduces the AI-First Blueprint for Re-Engineering Skills, Learning, Systems, and Societies, a framework that challenges the status quo. Drawing on operational evidence from Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Lim shows how AI systems functioning as co-learners (ATSkill), co-workers (AMCAM, GenAIWeld), and collaborators (GenAiMySuccess) activate human metacognitive capacity rather than replace it. True transformation requires adopting system intelligence, positioning AI not as a tool for automation but as a catalyst for human innovation, personalized learning, and global collaboration. Humans and AI are now in a continuous coevolutionary loop, making hybrid intelligence inevitable. The AI-First Blueprint lays out a Five-Phase Playbook to guide institutions, companies, and governments from isolated operations to interconnected innovation ecosystems. This approach builds resilient organizations, fosters a co-creative workforce, and paves the way for AI-driven, inclusive nations.