The dialogue surrounding soft skills vs AI is no longer a fringe academic debate. It’s now a boardroom-level priority, and when people like Jamie Dimon start talking, it’s wise to listen.
The AI Job Squeeze Is Real, But It’s Not the Whole Story
There’s no sugar-coating the fact that AI is already reshaping the labour market. According to recent reports, employers have pointed to artificial intelligence as the reason for over 70,000 job cuts since last year. That’s not a hypothetical number; it’s a real, tangible impact happening right now. It represents thousands of people whose roles have been deemed automatable.
This is the very scenario that underpins Jamie Dimon workforce predictions. The JPMorgan Chase CEO, a man who sits atop a financial empire built on data and algorithms, has been remarkably candid. He predicts AI will indeed eliminate a significant number of roles. But his follow-up advice, as noted in a recent piece by Fortune, isn’t for everyone to rush out and become a data scientist. Instead, he’s pointing towards something far more fundamental.
This is where we must start thinking about AI-resistant careers. The term is a bit of a misnomer. No job is truly ‘resistant’ to technology; it’s more that some jobs have a core that is profoundly, stubbornly human. These are roles rooted in empathy, complex problem-solving, negotiation, and genuine connection—tasks that algorithms, for all their processing power, simply cannot replicate with any authenticity.
The Unlikely Superpowers: Why Your Humanity is Your Greatest Asset
So, what are these mystical skills that AI can’t touch? We call them ‘soft skills’, a term that does them a massive disservice. It makes them sound optional, fluffy, and secondary to ‘hard’ technical skills. Let’s call them what they are: core human competencies. Think of it like this: if your technical knowledge is the app you’re running, your soft skills are the operating system. Without a solid OS, the best app in the world is useless.
These skills include:
– Critical thinking
– Adaptability
– Creativity
– Collaboration
And, most crucially, emotional intelligence and communication skills.
This isn’t just a hunch. Tech’s own royalty are echoing this sentiment. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who is arguably doing more than anyone to push AI into the mainstream, argues that as AI handles more analytical tasks, human qualities like empathy become more valuable. Ginni Rometty, the former head of IBM, goes further, stating that generative AI will force a re-evaluation of what’s important, prioritising collaboration and judgement over pure expertise.
Dimon puts it most bluntly: “‘My advice to people would be critical thinking, learn skills, learn your EQ [emotional quotient], learn how to be good in a meeting, how to communicate, how to write. You’ll have plenty of jobs.'” That’s not a tech guru speaking; that’s a banker, a pragmatist, telling you that your ability to read a room is just as important as your ability to read a spreadsheet.
Time for an Emotional Upgrade: The Case for Training
If emotional intelligence is the key, how do you get it? Unlike learning Python, you can’t just complete an online course and get a certificate. Or can you? The demand for emotional intelligence training is skyrocketing, and for good reason. Companies are finally waking up to the idea that they can, and should, actively develop these skills in their workforce.
This isn’t about group hugs and trust falls. Effective training focuses on tangible techniques:
– Active Listening: Learning to listen not just to respond, but to understand. How often in a meeting are you just waiting for your turn to speak?
– Self-Awareness: Identifying your own emotional triggers and biases. Why did that email from your boss make you so defensive?
– Giving and Receiving Feedback: Developing the ability to deliver constructive criticism without crushing morale, and receive it without becoming defensive.
– Reading Non-Verbal Cues: Understanding the 93% of communication that isn’t spoken.
Investing in these areas is the most direct path to creating future-proof jobs. The job itself might change—the tools will certainly change—but the need for a human who can navigate complex social dynamics will remain constant.
Building the Workforce of Tomorrow, Today
So what does a ‘future-proof’ professional look like? They are not Luddites, hiding from technology. Quite the opposite. They are what I’d call ‘AI-augmented’. They leverage AI to handle the grunt work—the data analysis, the first drafts, the scheduling—which frees them up to focus on the tasks that require a human touch.
– A doctor uses an AI to analyse medical scans for anomalies, giving them more time for patient consultation and empathetic care.
– A marketing manager uses a generative AI to brainstorm 50 different taglines in a minute, then uses their creativity and market knowledge to pick the one that will truly connect with customers.
– A project lead uses AI tools to manage timelines and resources, allowing them to focus on resolving team conflicts and motivating their people.
This is the symbiotic relationship we should be striving for. However, this transition won’t happen on its own. Dimon correctly points out that the disruption may happen faster than individuals can reskill. This puts the onus on governments and companies to create a safety net, not through permanent handouts, but through robust support for retraining, relocation assistance, and income support during the transition. It’s a massive societal undertaking, and one we’re woefully unprepared for.
The stark truth in the soft skills vs AI equation is that it’s a false dichotomy. The future belongs to those who can master both. You will need to be technically literate, but your career’s longevity will depend on your humanity. The machines are getting smarter, which means we have to get better at being human.
So, what’s your next move? Are you investing as much time in developing your communication skills as you are in learning the latest software? It might be the most important career decision you ever make.
