7 Soft Skills You Need to Thrive in the Age of AI

1. Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Emotional intelligence is the ability to interpret your feelings and those of others. While emotional intelligence is crucial for developing other skills such as teamwork and communication, relatively few people possess it. In fact, research suggests that only 36% of people can correctly  identify their emotions as they experience them.

Employers recognized the importance of emotional intelligence long before the advent of AI. A 2011 survey by CareerBuilder discovered that 71% of hiring managers prioritize emotional intelligence over IQ when assessing job candidates. Furthermore, 75% of employers preferred to promote workers with high emotional intelligence than those with high IQs.

In workplaces with rapidly increasing AI involvement, emotional intelligence is more vital than ever. While AI can successfully  automate repetitive tasks and often generates ideas and information faster than humans, it’s less successful tailoring information delivery to specific audiences. 

Developing your emotional intelligence allows you to appreciate the context of information and present it sensitively to clients and consumers.

2. Adaptability

AI has generated a colossal pace of technological change, and its continuing impact on businesses is hard to overstate. The McKinsey Technology Council estimates that  leveraging AI will likely increase the value of the automotive, chemicals, life sciences, and financial services industries by $1.3 trillion by 2035. 

Furthermore, automation technologies are poised to alter 20% to 30% of our work-related tasks, so workers must be ready to adapt their skills to meet their employers’ changing needs.

While these changes may help free up time previously spent on time-consuming, repetitive jobs, keeping your skills up-to-date also poses challenges. To make the best use of AI tools, you need to be flexible enough to adjust your workflow accordingly.

Adopting a lifelong learning mindset is also essential for keeping your skills relevant in an ever-changing employment landscape. You can increase your adaptability by following in-demand skills trends in your industry and seeking opportunities for ongoing education and professional development.

3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

While human brains can’t compete with AI’s data processing abilities, you can carve out a space for yourself by identifying AI’s weaknesses and updating your skills to plug the gaps. 

AI can’t critically evaluate its own recommendations or account for human variables. Therefore, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are vital for making sensitive judgment calls.

Recent research bears out the growing importance of these skills in modern workplaces. The World Economic Forum’s “The Future of Jobs” report examined which skills matter most considering the increased use of AI and other advanced technologies. Senior human resources and strategy officers across multiple industries cited complex problem-solving as the most in-demand skill, with critical thinking skills coming in second. 

4. Communication Skills

Communicating clearly and effectively with colleagues, clients, and target audiences is essential for establishing positive relationships, presenting information, and encouraging collaboration. 

AI is useful for gathering complex data, but it takes a human to translate information into accessible, understandable formats that meet the needs of diverse audiences. Therefore, hiring managers cite  communication skills as crucial in an AI-integrated workforce.

Furthermore, effective communication is critical to achieving brand consistency. Data insights gleaned from AI can only take companies so far — understanding what your audience needs and expects, then adapting your communications to suit your target market are invaluable.

5. Collaborative Mindset

Collaboration is essential in most roles, and willingness to collaborate with both colleagues and machines could help you succeed in AI-driven industries. Understandably, the rise of AI has caused many workers to fear being replaced by machines altogether.

However, research by the Harvard Business Review supports the idea that humans are irreplaceable in the workplace. While companies  replacing employees with AI may see short-term increases in productivity, these gains are usually short-lived. Such businesses risk losing human skills that help make them relatable and adaptable, such as creativity, potentially leading to long-term harm.

Ultimately, collaborating with technology is the most effective strategy for improving overall performance because humans and machines can enhance each other’s capabilities. Leveraging AI allows businesses to scale their processes and analyze data quickly, but they also need humans to interpret information and make complex decisions.

For example, human trainers are integral to creating AI assistants, such as Siri and Alexa. During their development, companies rely on humans to create a personality reflecting the brand image.

6. Ethical Judgment and Integrity

The widespread adoption of AI poses serious  ethical concerns for businesses. While you might assume that AI is ethically neutral, many models train themselves on biased data. An AI model is only as ethical as the material it learns from — if the information it trains on is inaccurate or discriminatory, companies risk reputational damage or causing harm to their users when they use AI models without human oversight.

Privacy is another area of concern surrounding the use of AI. AI system training involves processing vast data sets, and collecting and processing this information raises valid issues about how companies use sensitive data and who can view it.

That’s not to say that AI isn’t valuable in many industries. However, educating yourself on the potential ethical issues of AI use protects you against personal and corporate liability and helps you maintain your integrity when handling sensitive information. 

When implementing AI at work, consider asking yourself the following questions:

• What problems could I face while using AI, and how can I solve them?
• Does science support the solutions generated by the AI program?
• How will I ensure the safety and security of data?
• Does the solution comply with data protection laws?
• How will I detect data or algorithm bias?
• Can I explain my results to customers and stakeholders?
• Do I have consent to use personal data?
• What are the potential impacts of mistakes?
• Am I being transparent about my use of AI?

7. Continuous Learning and Up-skilling

Many experts are optimistic about the potential for human-AI collaboration. However, automation and other machine-based technologies will likely transform job descriptions as companies adopt and expand their use of AI.

How AI impacts your job depends on your industry. However, you can expect to spend less time on routine tasks and more of your working day focusing on activities requiring uniquely human traits, such as creativity, problem-solving, and complex decision-making.

Upskilling and continuous learning are crucial for maintaining relevant skills in the age of AI. Several online platforms, such as Coursera, MasterClass, and edX, offer courses to help you sharpen existing skills and develop new ones.

Identifying areas for development or changing your career trajectory can be challenging. A  career mentor can help you analyze your options and pursue the best development opportunities to enhance your skills and adapt to AI-related changes in the workplace.

Final Thoughts

In an increasingly automated world, nurturing the skills that only humans can provide lets you stay relevant and progress your career in a tech-driven marketplace. 

Invest in yourself by developing your critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and communication abilities to secure your position in a workforce where humans and machines routinely collaborate.