In late September 1983, deep within a bunker near Moscow, Stanislav Petrov averted a potential nuclear war by trusting his gut.
On that day, the Soviet early warning system falsely detected incoming missiles from the United States, announcing a large-scale American nuclear attack.
Despite immense pressure and protocol to launch an immediate retaliatory strike, Petrov paused. Something did not feel right. As the screens blared emergency, Petrov considered the bigger picture and, suspecting a system malfunction, decided against a counterattack.
He later learned that a rare alignment of sunlight on high-altitude clouds and the satellites’ orbits triggered the warning system.
Petrov’s intrinsic motivation to survive and his resilience, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking in a challenging, real-world, high-pressure context led to an ethical and accurate decision that avoided a global catastrophe.
40+ years later, technology is far superior, but one thing has not changed:
Machines are not humans.
It seems obvious, even simplistic—to the point that we dismiss it.
But it’s critical, encouraging, and instructive as we brace for the new age of AI and its growing and disruptive impacts.
AI lacks the essence of what it means to be human.
It does not care, desire, fear, or understand consequences beyond its programming.
AI’s inherent lack of emotion and structured, data-dependent, and patterned learning mechanism limit its capacity for deep understanding, connection, nuanced accuracy, creative thinking and invention, and versatile decision-making skills, to name a few.
Humans, on the other hand, don’t just solve problems by processing data. We weave together a rich tapestry of emotions, experiences, and ethical considerations that AI, in its current form, cannot replicate.
This dynamic brings us into a symbiotic relationship in which only humans benefit—and care to benefit—and AI is only beneficial and effective with human oversight.
While AI can augment human abilities and be a powerful tool in many domains, there are intrinsic aspects of human nature and cognition that AI cannot replicate or replace.
In “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” Daniel Kahneman highlights how our brains operate on two levels: the fast, intuitive, and emotional, and the slower, more deliberative, and logical. This blend allows humans to make decisions in complex, uncertain environments by leveraging both intuition and reasoned analysis—capabilities that AI struggles to mimic.
A great example of AI’s utility is medical diagnostics, where AI systems like IBM Watson can quickly analyze vast amounts of medical data. Watson can review thousands of medical papers, patient records, and clinical trials to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases like cancer with high accuracy and speed. This capability is promising for improving patient outcomes, identifying potential drug interactions, and optimizing treatment plans.
The operative word here is “assist”. In the way we would have an eager intern help.
Anything more than that would spell a disaster.
Conversely, AI cannot invent tamales, conceive a democratic system, craft a literary masterpiece like Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” or compose a symphony like Beethoven’s 9th.
For that, and much more, we need humans.
Humans can make significant leaps in understanding or skill with relatively limited data, a form of learning where AI typically requires vast amounts of data to achieve similar results.
Our ability to feel yields innate instincts, emotional and logical blending, incorporating thousands of years of evolution, nuanced contextual analysis, social and relational learning, connection, beliefs and values, and self-reinforcing creativity that makes us wired to invent, innovate, and draw outside the box.
This capacity is irreplaceable.
But that’s not all.
In Petrov’s example, it wasn’t his administrative or technical expertise that mattered most in a crisis. Instead, what was critical was also uniquely human.
Today, we call those “soft skills”—emotional, cognitive, and relational skills such as motivation, empathy, analytical and creative thinking, resilience and flexibility, curiosity and attention to detail, and leadership.
These ‘soft skills’ are not just in demand; they are the key to long-term job security and career advancement. They are also highly trainable, offering a promising path for personal growth and professional success in the face of rapid technological changes.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, “soft skills” account for 10 of the top 15 most important skills for workers in the next five years.
They include (“soft skills” are bolded):
- Creative thinking
- Analytical thinking
- Technological literacy
- Curiosity and lifelong learning
- Resilience, flexibility, and agility
- Systems thinking
- AI and big data
- Motivation and self-awareness
- Talent management
- Service orientation and customer service
- Leadership and social influence
- Empathy and active listening
- Dependability and attention to detail
- Resource management and operations
- Networks and cybersecurity
According to the same report, nearly 1 in 4 jobs will change by 2027. Out of those jobs, 14 million will vanish. Additionally, six in 10 workers will require training before 2027, but currently, only half have access to adequate training opportunities.
This prediction is a cause for concern only if we don’t take appropriate action.
Otherwise, it is an incredible opportunity to get ahead.
Like the advent of the internet, those who embrace the AI era as an opportunity to retrain, develop, and reinvent themselves will not only survive but thrive.
The benefits of soft skills have far-reaching implications.
They improve our quality of life, work, and relationships, helping us feel more confident, connected, and fulfilled. Collectively, they are beneficial to building a better, more just, equitable, and harmonious society.
Maybe that is just the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.
It’s ironic that AI should be what pushes us to embrace and level up what’s ultimately the best within us: our humanity.
But one can hope.
Future of Jobs Report 2023 https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf