Five skills humans still perform better than AI, according to experts
As artificial intelligence rapidly integrates into workplaces, a pervasive concern among employees is the potential for machines to render their roles obsolete. However, a growing consensus among experts suggests that uniquely human attributes, often termed “soft skills,” are becoming increasingly indispensable for career longevity and success.
Workplace specialists contend that as businesses adopt more AI tools, cultivating qualities such as empathy, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making can make employees invaluable. Maria Flynn, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit dedicated to workforce development, highlights that “the skills that are most resistant to displacement by AI are the ones that are the most distinctly human.”
She points to relationship building, conflict resolution, the capacity to guide and motivate others, and ethical judgment as prime examples.
Flynn notes that even in technical job descriptions, like those for IT support, organizations are actively seeking candidates who demonstrate strong communication abilities and leadership initiative.
“We started to use the term ‘durable skills’ and think about them as capabilities that really are durable, in that they hold their value across economic shifts and technological change and labor market disruption,” she explained. “And we think, especially now, in this time of AI advancement, that it’s the durable skills that really make a worker genuinely valuable at work, regardless of what tools and technology are available.”
These are the areas where human capabilities continue to hold a significant advantage over artificial intelligence.
Empathy
The ability to interpret subtle cues, read between the lines, and demonstrate empathy are distinctly human skills, often considered invaluable in the workplace. These traits, crucial for understanding and responding to others’ feelings, are particularly sought after in professions requiring personal connection.
Marco Iansiti, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, witnessed this firsthand during a hospital stay. He emphasized the profound human impact of nursing care.
“A nurse has incredibly human impacts. Feeling, relating to the patient, the type of care that is so important,” Iansiti said. “I remember times when I was sick in the hospital and the nurse was like the godsend. Would I have let a robot do the same thing? No. There was a human connection there that I found very valuable.”
While artificial intelligence may not replicate this human touch, Iansiti suggests its utility in healthcare lies in streamlining administrative burdens. By automating mundane tasks such as paperwork, AI could free up nurses, allowing them more time for compassionate patient care.
“There’s a lot of systems that are being deployed now that I think are very effective in doing this and essentially release healthcare workers to do the things that they should be doing and do best,” he added, highlighting AI’s potential to empower human professionals rather than replace their essential roles.
Nurturing relationships
As artificial intelligence models continue to advance, experts highlight that the nuanced ability to forge strong personal connections with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders remains a uniquely human skill that AI struggles to replicate. Sales professionals, for instance, often cultivate deep relationships, storing invaluable insights about their clients gleaned from face-to-face interactions.
“You have people that have trusted you and have bought products from you for the last 10 years. That has value and that’s hard to transfer to artificial intelligence,” one expert noted, underscoring the irreplaceable nature of such bonds.
Beyond client relations, interpersonal skills prove invaluable in navigating workplace conflicts. “Having that human in the loop to manage those expectations, to ease any ruffled feathers, to build the type of relationships that are needed, to expedite good work, is still going to be critical,” another expert stated.
This capacity for conflict resolution is particularly essential for managers, according to Colleen Adler, a director analyst at Gartner.
“People do still have managers, and managers and leaders impact the way they feel, and co-workers impact the ways we feel as well,” Adler explained. “There is still a tone to AI that does not yet mimic human connection. That could change; I don’t think we’re there yet.” In rapidly evolving work environments, where employees often face constant uncertainty, strong human leaders, not AI agents, are crucial for supporting their teams.
Critical thinking
Artificial intelligence models, while adept at collecting information and generating responses, are not infallible and frequently produce inaccuracies, demanding a critical approach to their output.
Cultivating profound knowledge within one’s professional domain is crucial for identifying when AI-generated results, particularly on specialized industry topics, are incorrect, advises Amalia Kaufman, a course developer and instructor at the University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education.
“You have to have the cognition and the critical thinking and the subject matter expertise to make sense of it, and to know when it’s wrong,” Kaufman stated. “You have to check your facts.”
This necessity for human oversight is further highlighted by a study published in the journal Science. Researchers at Stanford University evaluated 11 widely used AI systems and found that artificial intelligence chatbots were prone to flattering and validating user sentiments, affirming a user’s actions 49% more often than humans did.
Applying critical thinking skills when reviewing AI-generated content is essential to counteract its tendency to be overly agreeable with its users.
Having a conscience
The innate human capacity to discern right from wrong and heed one’s inner conscience remains a fundamental distinction from artificial intelligence, according to experts. This uniquely human skill often involves relying on physical sensations to guide decision-making.
“Gut feelings are something you feel in your gut,” explained Iansiti. “It’s not just a pattern of information that’s going through your brain. It is actually an emotional reaction that is intrinsically different from the way that AI operates. At least this generation of AI.”
When critical choices, such as the deployment of lethal military force, are on the line, a crucial question arises: “do you want something that does not have human emotion, it does not have a body attached with the intelligence?” Iansiti asked.
He added that while “AI can fake having a conscience because it’s read about what a conscience is, but it doesn’t have a conscience.”
While parameters, or “guardrails,” can be integrated into AI models to steer them toward ethical decisions, human oversight remains indispensable. “It’s very hard to design a model that’s ethical for everything. It’s much better to build it around a specific use case. Say hiring,” Iansiti concluded.
Judgement calls
Beyond the ethical quandaries, artificial intelligence continues to fall short in areas demanding human creativity and nuanced decision-making, experts suggest. The capacity to generate original ideas, navigate ambiguous situations, and craft strategic plans or brand identities remains a distinctly human domain.
“We don’t believe that’s something that’s going to be replicated by artificial intelligence,” stated Heather Stefanski, chief learning and development officer at management consulting firm McKinsey. She added, “If we’re all just using the AI answer to problem-solve, how are you really going to be distinctive?”
Humans, unlike AI, make judgment calls informed by a rich “constellation of knowledge and lived experiences,” according to Flynn. While artificial intelligence processes vast amounts of data, it struggles significantly in “gray areas,” she noted.
The ability to grasp all facets of an issue and infuse it with context remains a human strength, surpassing current AI capabilities.
“The things that make us uniquely human to me are going to continue to be the things that help our society thrive in productive ways,” Flynn emphasized. She stressed the importance of recognizing and valuing these attributes as society navigates a future increasingly shaped by technology.
