Can human skills surpass artificial intelligence?

What we once considered science fiction has now become a reality that confronts us daily with significant advancements in everything we do. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become indispensable for industries and people’s daily lives.

Artificial intelligence is considered a versatile tool that enables the processing of hard data information, particularly for decision-making purposes. It allows the creation of intelligent systems that perform tasks analogous to those performed by human beings, and it has done so very well thus far. The question that has kept us on the edge of our seats is whether AI will surpass human intelligence and skills, especially as a workforce.

We see artificial intelligence being utilized in technological systems such as computers, robotics, programming, and data extraction, performing operations comparable to the human mind. Artificial intelligence results from using algorithms (a kind of neural network that enables machine learning).

However, while AI can help facilitate our personal and business lives, many aspects are far from replacing human skills. Although AI has great potential for automating many tasks performed by humans, it is unlikely to completely replace humans, at least in the near future.

One of the reasons is that artificial intelligence still has limited capabilities, such as creative thinking and problem-solving, where humans excel. Some fields that require human intelligence include research, design, or strategy implementation.

Moreover, artificial intelligence is far from possessing the human touch required in the service industry, where interpersonal skills and the ability to empathize with customers are crucial.

Internally within organizations, the involvement of artificial intelligence will be even more complex. We have been constantly discussing the role that leaders should play in organizations or the role that talent development and coaching should represent.

Here are some human skills that definitely cannot (yet) be replaced by artificial intelligence:

1. Empathy

   While artificial intelligence has demonstrated the ability to engage in verbal and visual communication with a client, it lacks the capacity to generate empathy. A person who empathizes with another’s problem increases the chances of finding a solution, which makes a difference in having a satisfied and loyal customer. In the workplace, empathy plays a crucial role in conflict resolution and understanding the perspectives of all parties involved, contributing to creating a better working environment. Humans understand emotional situations and can provide tools for managing them through understanding, guidance, care, and protection for their colleagues.

2. Leadership

   Although artificial intelligence can currently replace many operational tasks, it definitely cannot replace the skills needed to manage the growth of human groups. This includes helping members of organizations develop their skills, motivating them, leading by example, evaluating, delegating, and sharing experiences.

3. Creativity

   Artificial intelligence cannot replace creativity, as having a vision, inventing, creating original proposals, and generating innovative and disruptive designs have been exclusive tasks of humanity. While artificial intelligence has helped generate new creations, learns from historical data, and even improves itself, it has not yet reached the level of innovation created by humans. Let’s not forget that the human mind absorbs information from the environment, helping us develop new and creative ideas, such as music, art, photography, nature, or the context that inspires us and even generates business ideas.

4. Teamwork

   Artificial intelligence still lacks a sense of camaraderie and collaboration. While a company may be able to do without humans, it is impossible to reproduce certain perceptions and advantages of human collaboration.

It is inevitable that technology will continue to advance and that it may eventually eliminate many jobs. However, it cannot do everything. Human beings possess aptitudes that machines cannot replicate, and at least for now, machines and artificial intelligence cannot replace human skills and abilities, so let’s make sure we are strengthening those skills.