Seven Essential Human Traits for Thriving in the AI Era
Listen to this article as a radio talk show, all by AI.
In my quest to better understand the future of AI, I was fortunate to attend the Foster Global AI Summit Future Talent Forum, co-sponsored by the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and the Future Talent Council.
This is the second in a series of my takeaways and explorations as a result of the conference.
Seven (simply incredible) human traits to power your path to the future
As I noted, I attended the 2025 Foster Global AI Summit and Future Talent Forum last week. My first post is here, if order overrides chaos in your world. (Way to go! 😉)
Throughout this conference, as well as others I’ve attended, there was a big theme - technology will never supersede humanity - no matter the transformation. However, with the need to change so much to keep up at speed with the AI Supercycle we’re in, it's natural for many to wonder about the relatively mystical question of the future role of humanity in the age of AI.
What makes us uniquely human?
How can we thrive alongside increasingly sophisticated machines?
How do we build ourselves up to rise to the pace of change?
I've spent considerable time reflecting on these questions, listening to incredibly smart people, and have identified seven core human traits that I believe will be critical as we navigate this new landscape. Each trait represents a powerful, incredibly human strength. Nurtured properly, each will help us flourish and continually find purpose and (dare I say?) humanity in the age of AI.
1. Curiosity: The Spark of Human Progress
Curiosity is the lifeblood of human innovation. It is our innate desire to explore, to understand, and to push beyond the known. As AI takes over routine tasks and repetitive work, curiosity will become one of our greatest assets, fueling our exploration of new frontiers, addressing global challenges, and finding new possibilities. The ability to question deeply, seek new experiences, and remain open to discovery will distinguish human ingenuity in the AI era.
Curiosity will drive us to continually learn, adapt, and create value in ways machines cannot.
2. Resilience: The Strength to Thrive Through Change
The pace of technological advancement can feel overwhelming. And economic, social, psychological, and political disruptions are already testing our emotional and mental strength. Resilience, our capacity to recover from setbacks and adapt positively to change, has never been more important. Humans who cultivate resilience will not only survive rapid changes but will also thrive, seeing disruption as an opportunity for growth, learning, and meaningful reinvention.
Resilience will help us maintain stability, optimism, and mental clarity during times of uncertainty.
3. Adaptability: Navigating a Rapidly Changing World
Adaptability is about flexibility in the face of new conditions and a readiness to embrace change. AI's acceleration means predictable career paths, industries, and lifestyles will shift frequently, and sometimes dramatically. Adaptable individuals will be able to pivot quickly, learning new skills, tools, and ideas, remaining relevant and valuable. Humans who remain agile, open-minded, and responsive to evolving circumstances will be best positioned to succeed.
Adaptability will empower us to respond quickly to change, ensuring we remain relevant, resourceful, and ready to seize new opportunities.
4. Tenacity: The Power of Persistent Effort
Progress has never come easily. Tenacity, our ability to persistently pursue goals despite obstacles, is deeply embedded in our nature. As we enter every phase of this AI Supercycle, tenacity will help us confront complex challenges that AI alone will not resolve. Persistent human effort, determination, and focus on long-term goals will enable us to manage AI's impacts on society, ethics, and work, ensuring technology serves our collective well-being rather than undermining it.
Tenacity will enable us to persist through difficulties, driving us toward meaningful achievements that AI alone cannot accomplish.
5. Empathy: The Heart of Human Connection
Empathy, our capacity to understand, share, and respond to the feelings of others, will define the human roles of the future. As AI increasingly handles technical and analytical tasks, human interactions built on empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence will become more crucial. Empathy will help us navigate the ethical dilemmas posed by AI, maintain meaningful relationships, and ensure technology remains aligned with human values. It is empathy, after all, that makes us uniquely human—and it will become increasingly significant in shaping the societies we build alongside our AI partners.
Empathy will guide us to build deeper, increasingly ethical connections, ensuring technology consistently serves human values and dignity.
6. Critical Thinking: Navigating Complexity with Confidence
The age of AI brings immense informational complexity and uncertainty. Critical thinking—our ability to analyze, evaluate, interpret, and make reasoned decisions—will empower us to navigate this complexity. With AI-generated information flooding our lives, critical thinking helps us distinguish truth from misinformation, ethical action from harmful shortcuts, and meaningful innovation from trivial memes. It safeguards our autonomy, enabling informed choices and responsible interactions with powerful technologies.
Critical thinking will equip us to confidently navigate complexity, safeguarding our decisions and actions in an increasingly noisy AI-assisted world.
7. Collaboration: Finding Strength in Unity
Perhaps most importantly, collaboration will help humanity solve the complex global challenges that neither individuals nor AI systems can tackle alone. Our capacity to work cooperatively, draw on diverse perspectives, and pool collective intelligence is our greatest asset. Effective collaboration—with each other, with different cultures and fields, and even alongside AI—will be the cornerstone of meaningful progress. It allows us to amplify our strengths, compensate for individual limitations, and ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly and equitably shared.
Collaboration will amplify our collective intelligence, allowing us to address global challenges together, far beyond the capabilities of humans or AI alone.
Embracing Our VERY Human Strengths
These seven traits form a powerful, balanced framework for navigating our personal and professional journeys through the age of AI.
Rather than competing against machines, we can leverage our uniquely human strengths to complement AI’s capabilities, creating a more fulfilling, inclusive, and meaningful future.
As we embrace these traits, we can more confidently shape our own futures. Ensuring that the age of AI doesn't diminish our humanity but instead enhances and enriches it. By nurturing these core human qualities, we prepare ourselves to both survive technological evolution, and flourish in leveraging it as we go. Who knows, we might even solve more human challenges by leveraging our very human strengths.
What does all of this mean for you?
As I’ve said before, whether you're starting your career, mid-way through, or (like me, at the penultimate moment) adaptability is your best friend. The skills that'll keep you competitive - Curiosity, Resilience, Adaptability, Tenacity, Empathy, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration - will also build your humanity with other humans as you move into the future. They are becoming more important, not less.
This isn't just about surviving the changes - it's about thriving in them. The future of work might look different, but it's full of opportunities if you're ready to grab them.
Stay curious, keep learning, and don't be afraid to pivot when needed.
Now's the time to start thinking about where you fit in our rapidly changing future. Whether that means picking up new tech skills, developing new leadership capabilities, or exploring entirely new career paths, the future of work is being written right now. And you get to be part of that story.
If you need support in writing your story, we are here to help. We train leaders and teams to handle AI on their terms, safely responsively and with an awareness of the risks and rewards of using AI to facilitate growth.
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