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Every day, it seems like another article claims AI will make the workplace more "human." We hear emphatic promises that the technology will free us from mundane tasks, giving us more time to focus on creative pursuits. I’m not going to lie, it sounds great.
But what about the other side of the equation? Instead of focusing on how AI can be made more human, how about we talk about what we, as humans, need to do to consciously preserve our humanity? What are the essential traits, skills and values that must remain uniquely human as technology evolves? And how do we avoid letting technology turn work into a mechanical, soulless grind that inspires no one — human or machine?
1. Empathy: The Essence of Human Connection
Emotional intelligence and empathy are the proverbial glue that holds workplace relationships together. When we genuinely understand and share the feelings of others, we build trust, resolve conflicts and create a better work culture. Empathy is critical for leaders managing teams, for customer-facing roles that require sensitivity and to foster collaboration across the organization. Even if you take it for granted in your current role, you probably notice when it’s missing.
Algorithms can recognize facial expressions or infer sentiment from writing or listening to people speak, but they can’t feel. Empathy is one of the most uniquely human traits. It’s what enables a manager to support an employee through a tough time or a customer service rep to genuinely listen and provide meaningful help. Empathy also creates connection, making us all more understanding of our shortcomings. AI might mimic that understanding, but true empathy requires intention and heart.
Related Article: Can You Teach Empathy?
2. Ethics: Wisdom That Can’t Be Mimicked
A moral and ethical judgment ensures that workplaces operate with integrity and fairness. Whether you’re setting policies on how employee data is used or addressing bias in hiring, the ability to weigh ethical considerations against business needs is essential. Decisions rooted in ethics prevent harmful outcomes for both employees and customers. Outsourcing or mimicry of those decisions often lacks context or uniquely human judgment.
AI can follow ethical rules, often in unflinching and unwavering ways, but it can’t wrestle with ethical dilemmas that require nuance and context. Humans are needed to determine the moral boundaries of workplace practices, whether it’s deciding how to use employee data, balancing fairness in hiring decisions or addressing bias in algorithms themselves.
What happens when a decision pits efficiency against people’s jobs? How do we handle minor versus major workplace infractions? Only humans can ensure workplaces are guided by values rather than numbers.
Related Article: To Craft Fulfilling Workplaces in the AI Age, Embrace the Human Element
3. Creativity: Our Weird Brains Are More Valuable Than We Know
The creativity that lies in the depths of our psyches makes us invaluable as professionals. Our ability to dream up unique solutions that haven’t been tried before, rethink outdated practices and develop strategies that resonate emotionally with others is compelling for work and life.
Creativity isn’t limited to creative professionals, either. Problem-solving when managing complex projects or working to resolve customer challenges that might otherwise seem impossible is creativity in practice.
AI can generate ideas or act as a brainstorming partner to hone creative ideas into reality. But it doesn’t have humans’ thoughts and dreams. Creativity is more than recognizing patterns or remixing past work. It can be about taking calculated (or even foolish) risks and challenging what’s possible.
As AI consumes more and more of the ideas that it has generated — like a snake eating its own tail — creativity becomes one of the most important human traits that we can’t ask AI to replace. Those personal experiences and intuition guide us into our most brilliant, soul-touching work.
Related Article: It’s Time for People Practices to Become More Human-Centric
4. Relationships: Creating Meaning With Connection
Most of the stories about human relationships intersecting with AI have been of a romantic flavor. But building real relationships with colleagues is one underreported aspect of the rise of AI in the workplace. Like empathy, solid work relationships drive team morale, improve communication and enhance job satisfaction. If I’m critical of one aspect of fully remote work, it’s that relationships are much harder to maintain in that environment.
Work is about more than tasks, metrics and productivity. It’s ultimately about people. The relationships you build at work, from mentoring junior employees to celebrating team successes, form some of the pivotal and most important moments of a career. Authentic human connections can’t be automated.
AI might facilitate collaboration through better tools, but it can’t replace the camaraderie and trust that comes from shared challenges and victories. Humans bring nuance, humor and vulnerability to interactions — qualities that make work a collection of important relationships that work together and get things done.
Related Article: Human Collaboration Still Matters in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
5. Resilience: Thriving in an Uncertain World
Adaptability and resilience allow us to cope with and ultimately embrace a rapidly changing workplace. Most of us have experienced change, whether that is shifting business priorities or unforeseen challenges. Resilience ensures we stay motivated and maintain a growth mindset, even when the path ahead is uncertain.
Resilience can’t be duplicated by AI. Humans can learn to thrive in ambiguity and deal with the unexpected in remarkable ways. We adapt by embracing uncertainty as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than something to fear or become non-responsive to.
AI may excel at following rules and dealing with some of the uncertainties that users throw at it, but it struggles with our messy, unpredictable humanity. We, on the other hand, have a lifetime of experience with it. We can pivot, learn and grow in the face of change, and predict patterns that help us prepare for what might come next (even if we’re not 100% sure what that might be).
The Risk of Ignoring the Value of Our Human Traits
If we’re not careful, leaning too heavily on AI risks turning work into something transactional and hollow. When decisions are reduced to metrics and interactions are filtered through technology, we lose what makes work meaningful: the people.
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AI should be a tool that enhances humanity, not replace it. But that requires us, humans, to draw clear, intentional lines about what technology should and shouldn’t do. It also means doubling down on the traits and skills that make us human and creating workplaces that value these qualities, even as automation inevitably creeps into more of our working lives.
The future of work can’t just be about what AI can take from us. It should also be about what we refuse to yield to it. Empathy, creativity, ethics, relationships and resilience keep humanity at the forefront of the new frontier at work. Let’s defend humanity and hold on to that future.
