Learn These 5 Soft Skills and be ready for the AI Revolution

The AI revolution will affect your life and is here to stay. Such a revolution will test your capacity for change and adaptation. So far, artificial intelligence has been disrupting in even those industries that were previously thought to be immune to automation, including human resources, talent management, banking, healthcare, law, and politics, among others.

McKinsey & Company predict that 375 million workers may need to switch occupations because of AI, which is roughly 14 percent of the global workforce. One Oxford study is even more pessimistic (or realistic?), estimating that job loss rates in developed nations could reach up to 47% within the next 25 years.

What makes AI so different compared with previous waves of automation and robotization is its ability to process complex information, recognize hidden patterns, and solve complicated problems much faster and more accurately than humans. AI’s power was demonstrated to the whole world when Google’s AI defeated a top player at the game of Go.

However, just because AI has more processing power doesn’t mean that we as humans will become obsolete. We still have our humanity, and we will need it more than ever if we want to adapt to the AI revolution.

A report released by McKinsey Global Institute analyzed, categorized, and placed workplace skills into five groups, identifying soft skills as one of the most needed types of skills for future employment. Let’s take a closer look at the soft skills mentioned in the report and how you can use them to remain competitive, change and adapt in the age of AI.

1. Adaptability and Continuous Learning

“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” Kakuzo Okakura

Nobody knows what the future holds. By the time a freshman graduates from college, the job market may be radically different than when she enrolled, but her coursework won’t reflect this change at all. The good news is that the human brain doesn’t automatically turn off after graduation.

If you continue learning new skills and keep on expanding your knowledge based on the current job market demand, you won’t have much trouble finding employment even in the age of AI. Just remember that adaptability is a skill that can be honed and improved over time. All it takes is determination and persistence.

2. Advanced Communication and Negotiation Skills

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” James Humes

If you’ve ever had a conversation with a chatbot, you probably noticed that communication and negotiation skills are not on its resume. It doesn’t matter if you sound concerned, delighted, or sorrowful, an AI will always respond with the same tone of voice, repeating the same message.

That’s far from ideal when it comes to public-facing communications, the kind that can ruin a company’s image if something goes wrong. By going beyond language fluency and mastering advanced communication and negotiation skills, you become able to do a wide variety of jobs, including social media manager, press secretary, marketing coordinator, or communications officer, all of which are not at risk of being automated.

3. Interpersonal Skills and Empathy

“There’s a power in empathy.” Tarana Burke

People from many different walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds meet in the workplace. To break down boundaries between them, prevent conflict, and foster a more positive work environment, it’s crucial to have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to empathize with others.

By learning to put yourself in another’s shoes and developing the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, you can become the glue that holds teams together and engaged.

4. Leadership and People Management

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell

A good manager is worth his or her weight in gold. In the future, more and more managers will be tasked not only with managing teams of people but also teams made up of people and AI. Not all managers will be up to the task, but those who end up learning the necessary skills and manage to successfully adapt will be in high demand.

Even outside of managerial roles, leadership and people management skills are vital for success, and many recruiters look for them during job interviews. Just remember that leadership isn’t about dominating others and showing them who’s more powerful; it’s about relating to them.

5. Entrepreneurship and Creativity

“At its best, entrepreneurship creates jobs, solves problems, and galvanizes creative thinking.” Neil Blumenthal

Human creativity is the reason why there is an AI revolution in the first place. Machines may be better than us at crunching numbers and analyzing massive quantities of data, but they can’t match our creative potential.

There will be always plenty of opportunities to innovate and come up with new business ideas. You just need to have the right mindset and be brave enough to embrace a great opportunity when you see it. If you come up with a really good idea, you might even become the founder of the next hot AI startup.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence is radically reshaping the job market and forcing people to adapt to a new reality. One in which humans no longer have a monopoly on processing complex information, recognizing hidden patterns, and solving complicated problems. To thrive in the era of AI, you will need more than technological skills. Without adaptability, communication skills, empathy, leadership skills, creativity, and other soft skills, your chance of succeeding in this new job market may be slim.