Many workers fear machines will replace them as the adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates.
But what if people possess qualities that are unmistakably human and essential to career success, and that AI couldn’t easily replace?
Some workplace experts argue that, with companies increasingly adopting AI tools, it’s worth cultivating soft skills—such as empathy, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making—to help employees become indispensable.
Across sectors and occupations, “the skills most resistant to displacement by AI are those that are distinctively human,” said Maria Flynn, president and CEO of Jobs for the Futurea nonprofit organization dedicated to workforce development. “These include the ability to build relationships, conflict resolution, the ability to guide and motivate others, and ethical judgment.”
Even in job postings for technical positions, such as IT support, organizations say they are looking for candidates who are good communicators and take initiative in leadership, Flynn said.
“We began to use the term “durable skills” and consider them as capabilities that truly last, since they maintain their value despite economic fluctuations, technological changes and disruptions in the labor market,” he explained. “We believe that, especially now—in this era of AI advancements—it is these enduring skills that truly make a worker valuable, regardless of the tools and technologies available.”
Below, we present five skills to cultivate, based on the areas where, according to experts, humans still have an advantage over artificial intelligence.
Empathy
Interpreting body language and reading between the lines to decipher what hasn’t been explicitly communicated are skills that many believe humans perform best. These capabilities also underpin empathy; In fact, sensitivity to the feelings of others is a highly valued trait in workers.
Marco Iansiti, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, experienced it firsthand during a stay in the hospital.
“A nurse has a deeply human impact: the ability to feel, to connect with the patient and to provide that kind of care that is so crucial,” Iansiti said. “I remember times when I was sick in the hospital and the nurse was a true blessing. Would I have let a robot do the same thing? No. There was a human connection that I greatly valued.” AI could be useful in the hospital environment by taking care of routine tasks such as paperwork, freeing up time for nursing staff to provide compassionate care to patients, he said.
“Many systems are currently being implemented that I consider very effective for this purpose; essentially, they allow health professionals to dedicate themselves to the tasks that really correspond to them and in which they perform best.”
Cultivate interpersonal relationships
Building strong personal connections with colleagues, clients and stakeholders remains a highly valued skill that experts say AI models struggle to replicate. Salespeople, for example, have files or databases that contain information collected about their customers through face-to-face interactions.
“There are people who have trusted you and bought products from you over the last ten years. That has a value that is difficult to translate into artificial intelligence,” said Iansiti.
Interpersonal skills are also invaluable when conflicts arise. “Having the human factor to manage expectations, calm tempers, build the necessary relationships and expedite good work will continue to be essential,” commented Flynn.
Conflict resolution is an essential quality for managers, said Colleen Adler, director and analyst in the human resources area of the consulting firm Gartner.
“Organizations still have managers, and managers and leaders influence how employees feel; coworkers also affect our mood,” Adler said. “AI still conveys a tone that fails to emulate human connection. That could change, but I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Work environments change rapidly, and many employees feel like they are suddenly moving from one difficult situation to another, Adler noted. While AI agents can’t help workers better cope with that uncertainty, strong leaders can support their teams, he added.
Critical thinking
Artificial intelligence models collect information and generate responses, but can incur inaccuracies; Therefore, it is important to question and verify the results they offer. Gaining a deep understanding of your field will help you detect when AI-generated results on topics in your industry are incorrect, said Amalia Kaufman, a course developer and instructor in the Division of Continuing Education at the University of California, Irvine. “You need the cognitive ability, critical thinking, and expertise to interpret information and know when it is incorrect,” Kaufman said. “One has to check the data“.
In a study published in the journal ScienceStanford researchers evaluated eleven popular AI systems and found that AI chatbots tended to flatter and validate users’ feelings, validating actions 49% more frequently than humans. Taking a broader perspective and applying critical thinking when reading AI-generated results can help counteract its tendency to be overly accommodating to users.
Have awareness
The ability to distinguish right from wrong, or to listen to one’s own conscience, is an intrinsically human ability, according to experts.
Sometimes people are guided by bodily sensations when making decisions. “Hunches are something you feel in your gut,” Iansiti said. “It’s not just a pattern of information running through the brain; it’s actually an intrinsically different emotional reaction to the way AI operates. At least, this generation of AI.”
When life-or-death decisions need to be made—such as when to use lethal military force—the question is, “Do you want something that lacks human emotion and whose intelligence is not tied to a physical body?” Iansiti said. “AI can pretend to have consciousness because it has read about what it is, but it does not have real consciousness.”
Parameters or safeguards can be built into AI models to help AI agents make ethical decisions, Iansiti noted; However, human intervention is still necessary.
“It’s very difficult to design a model that is ethical across the board. It’s much better to build it around a specific use case, such as hiring processes,” Iansiti said.
Criterion when deciding
Ethical issues are not the only ones that AI is least prepared to address at the moment. The ability to generate creative ideas and make decisions in ambiguous situations—such as when strategizing or developing a brand identity—is another critical human skill, experts say.
“We don’t think that’s something that artificial intelligence is going to be able to replicate,” said Heather Stefanski, director of learning and development at management consulting firm McKinsey. “If we all just use AI answers to solve problems, how are we going to really differentiate ourselves?”
Human beings make decisions based on a body of knowledge and life experiences, Flynn said. For its part, artificial intelligence thrives on large amounts of data, but it does not always work well in ambiguous or poorly defined situations, he added. For now, the ability to see all angles of an issue and provide context remains a form of intelligence that people possess to a greater extent than AI, he noted.
“For me, what makes us uniquely human will continue to be what helps our society thrive productively,” Flynn said. “And making sure you highlight those aspects, pay attention to them and ensure that they are attributes that people can identify, express and value positively will be key as we all move towards a rapidly changing future.”
