The article explores a counterintuitive outcome of the automation wave driven by artificial intelligence—namely, that rather than making human skills obsolete, it is actually raising the value of certain uniquely human capabilities. Automation tends to replace routine, codifiable tasks, but the work that remains valuable increasingly demands creativity, adaptability, empathy, and complex judgment. In this sense, AI doesn’t render human work redundant; it reshapes which human skills matter most.
It points out that as machines take over predictable processes, human roles shift toward oversight, interpretation, collaboration and innovation. For example, professionals who can ask the right questions, apply context, navigate ambiguity and engage in interpersonal dynamics find their roles becoming more central. These “complementary” human skills—ones that machines struggle to replicate—are rising in importance and demand.
However, the article also cautions that this shift presents challenges. Workers whose roles emphasize routine, predictable tasks must adapt, reskill or consider career transitions. Organisations and education systems need to rethink how they prepare individuals for a world where human-machine collaboration is the norm—fostering not just technical literacies, but also broader meta-skills like critical thinking, ethical awareness and emotional intelligence.
In conclusion, the paradox uncovered is that while AI automates, it simultaneously empowers human potential—if humans are equipped to leverage it. The future of work lies not in whether machines will replace us, but in how we evolve to partner with machines, centering the human dimension of value rather than viewing technology purely as a substitute.
