As AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday aspects of life, it’s easy to think that today’s youth need to focus solely on digital skills. Surely that’s where the future lies?
It’s not as simple as that. AI presents a paradox: The more we rely on AI for its computational and generative capabilities, the more important human-specific skills become. From leadership to listening, compassion to collaboration, there are so many things that AI can’t replicate — and we shouldn’t want it to.
Skills that Survive Technological Revolutions
No matter how drastically technology changes the world, the core skills we need remain largely the same. We’re currently in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, often called Industry 4.0 or 4IR. So, it makes sense that we can look back to previous industrial shifts to understand what skills survived and helped us thrive.
The primary industrial revolution — the big shift from handmade to powered production — occurred from the 1700s to the 1800s. The impact on society was huge, but skills like collaboration and communication became even more essential.
This came sharply into focus during the second industrial revolution, with the rise of mass transit and communication: railroads and telephones. The ability to send people and ideas around the world faster made the world both smaller and larger. Consequently, innovation and creative thinking became more important than ever.
Shifting into the 20th century, with the information age, human innovation exploded. From the first transistors in the 1940s to the internet and the development of smart devices, the ability to do more has allowed humans to be more. Accessibility and inclusion have become simpler, thanks to telehealth services and digital aids for people with a range of abilities.
Now, during 4IR, AI is the emerging technology of the moment, alongside automation, edge computing, additive manufacturing practices like 3D printing, and the application of big data in numerous industries.
At every stage, soft skills like communication, listening, leadership, critical thinking, and creativity have remained essential. Focusing on tech learning alone means committing to a life of continuous upskilling, without ever learning many truly transferable skills.
Artificial Versus Emotional Intelligence
AI can do so much, from scanning job applications for keywords to advanced pattern recognition that could help combat climate change. But it can’t do it alone. AI can’t effectively manage a team of people or mediate conflicts between employees. It can provide data analysis and even predictions on staff turnover, but may fail to comprehend underlying issues, such as a disparity between company and personnel values.
AI can highlight where a tumour may appear to help doctors start cancer treatment faster. But it can’t hold a person’s hand and give them the support they need when they hear this news.
AI is, after all, artificial intelligence. As humans, we have something even more critical: emotional intelligence. Learning empathy and resolution techniques while actively practicing collaboration creates genuinely effective human experts and teams — bolstered by AI-supported technology.
Creativity and Innovation
Similarly, AI isn’t truly creative. While you can generate images, videos, and even music with AI, there is debate over the artistry of this content. There are also ethical concerns, such as the potential theft of copyrighted material and the morbid use of work from deceased artists like Tupac Shakur.
Regardless of the ethical debate, AI can’t replace human creativity, because we love to create. We do it from the moment we can first bang a drum or pick up a pencil. While AI and machine learning might accelerate the advancement of technological tools, there will always be the need for human designers, architects, musicians, artists, writers, programmers, and more.
The Critical Need for Human Skills
So, do our young people need to focus on emerging technology or more transferable skills? The 2025 Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) suggests that 39% of core skills will change by 2030. While that may seem significant, it highlights that 61% of human-centric skills — over three fifths — will remain as necessary as ever. While technological literacy is cited as important, the top core skills highlighted as vital for the coming decade are:
- Creative thinking
- Self-awareness
- Motivation
- Resilience
- Agility
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Leadership and social influence
- Analytical thinking
AI can support these skills, by providing enhanced platforms to exercise creativity, or generative content for resilience training, for example. But it’s the human element that keeps these skills essential and completely transferable. If you become resilient in a high-pressure engineering environment, then if you move into a management position, that hardy nature moves with you.
Next month, we’ll address anxieties surrounding the rise of AI and how it’s already impacting the job market. Will AI make some traditional skills obsolete, or support and enhance human collaboration and innovation? We’ll take a look at some of these big questions and the answers we’re already starting to see.
Discover teamwork, leadership, and peer-to-peer collaboration alongside coding, physical computing, engineering, and other critical STEM skills at a Girls Into Coding event. By combining technical know-how with transferable skills, we’re helping transform the girls in tech of today into the women in STEM of tomorrow.
Discover teamwork, leadership, and peer-to-peer collaboration alongside coding, physical computing, engineering, and other critical STEM skills at a Girls Into Coding event. By combining technical know-how with transferable skills, we’re helping transform the girls in tech of today into the women in STEM of tomorrow.
