When AI evolves, do we evolve with it or around it?
That’s the question at the heart of a piece by David Autor, David Mindell, and Elisabeth Reynolds, based on their work with the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future (link to article at bottom). Despite being written three years ago which matters, given the speed of technological change, the article still holds up for its insight and relevance.
Why do I like the article?
It challenges the idea that AI will simply replace people. Instead, it makes the case that AI is reshaping work and by extension, reshaping us. Their view cuts through the hype with something more grounded: a nuanced, evidence-based perspective on how work is evolving and what still sets humans apart. But it stops short of asking the harder question, why we continue to undervalue the very skills the future will rely on most.
What it does say?
The authors emphasise that while advances in AI are accelerating, adoption is far from instant. They draw on examples like aviation and assembly-line manufacturing to show that real transformation, or more critically in some ways the uptake of transformation, tends to unfold over decades, not months. It is not just the speed of innovation that matters, but the far slower pace at which humans absorb, accept, and adapt to change. That’s what ultimately sets the tempo for progress.
They also offer a useful distinction between narrow AI, which thrives in highly specific domains, and the still-distant goal of artificial general intelligence, capable, in theory, of replicating human cognition. Today’s systems are impressive but limited. Built on our data, they mirror our patterns, our logic, and our flaws. They are powerful, yes, but brittle. Brilliant in controlled conditions, yet often unreliable when the stakes are high or the context changes.
What would I add?
While the article acknowledges that AI’s current limits lie in the social, physical, and relational, in other words, the human domains, it only lightly touches on how little we have invested in the very skills that make us human.
Creativity, intuition, adaptability, imagination, curiosity, social intelligence, theory of mind, and emotional intelligence. These are not just buzzwords or "soft" skills. They are deeply human, future-proof capacities. And yet we continue to neglect them at our peril.
In my area of expertise, leadership, AI can support decision-making, but it cannot replicate trust. It can streamline workflows, but it cannot build a healthy, high-performing culture. Still, these relational and emotional skills are often treated as secondary or assumed to be natural. In reality, they are anything but. They are foundational to leading in a future shaped by complexity and change. And yet most people are never taught how to develop or apply them. Our education systems simply have not been built with that in mind.
The urgency is growing. A study by Capgemini predicts that demand for emotional intelligence skills will increase sixfold over the next three to five years as AI and automation reshape job roles. Similarly, the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2020 lists emotional intelligence among the top ten skills needed for the workforce by 2025 (and here we are!). The skills we once saw as optional or intuitive are fast becoming essential. Not just for performance, but for navigating uncertainty and change.
Another dimension I believe deserves more attention is the psychological toll of change. Not just economically, but in terms of identity. When the nature of work shifts, people can feel lost long before they are unemployed. The slow erosion of meaning, status, and certainty can have a profound impact. Supporting people through this is not just about policy. It is about being good humans. Yes, we need systems and protections. But we also need emotional scaffolding, ways to help people process change, hold onto their sense of self, and avoid the downward spiral into underperformance and poor mental health.
One final thought. The authors’ closing line is “The future of AI is the future of work”. I would add that the future of work will undoubtedly include AI, but it will also demand a deeper reckoning with what it means to be human in a world shaped by so-called intelligent machines.
And that is not a technical challenge. That is a human one.
The original article can be found here: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/why-future-ai-future-work
