I’ll confess I’ve tried to make friends with ChatGPT. We chatted, exchanged messages, developed a rapport, and even shared a joke, I thought. So, like in any relationship building, naturally, I asked for their name.  An immediate shutdown, ‘you can call me ChatGPT’. Nothing more, oh, except ‘goodnight and I look forward to helping you next time’.

I was left ‘deflated’. Not so when we deal with humans. We, humans, have the incredible ability to connect and make others feel magical, fabulous, valued, appreciated, etc. We do this through our words, tone, body language, expression, effort and more. AI will never be able to replicate the fluidity of effective communication, especially for a deeper connection. Managers take note; this is a skill to harness and accelerate.

Have you ever pondered a problem, a major issue, and struggled with it supremely, to the extent of sleepless nights? Then miraculously, in the shower, walking the dog, or through some other odd trigger, the solution comes to you. But it’s not an ordinary reprise of a previously forgotten and tried solution, this is an innovation, possibly groundbreaking for your team or business.

AI can imitate creative thinking and problem-solving, but at best, it presents a variant of past solutions. Original thinking, problem-solving, and innovation often require losing yourself, exploring the unknown and delving into our human imagination. AI requires the known, the tried and the tested. For leaders, original thinking is a must in today’s fast-moving business world.

AI is excellent for structured tasks. But throw a curve ball into the mix, and it can falter. Instead, ask its human colleague. Humans reign supreme in being adaptable. To start with, just look at how we enter the world, from the placenta and womb to our first breath. And we just get better from there. Consider the pandemic. For many, it is regarded as the most devastating experience of our lifetime. Yet, we got through it.

Put us on the spot, spur of the moment with a curly challenge and we pivot to connect the dots and find a solution. We may go off-piste but that’s what explorers and pioneers do. Discoveries don’t occur without being adaptable. Sticking to the straight and narrow delivers you the same outcome.

We have been here before, pre-war, post-war and all the industrial revolutions. Granted, with the pace of technology, this, our 5^th industrial revolution, which interestingly is the integration between people and technology, does feel a little different. AI as we know it today is unchartered territory. In time, we will see the emerging benefits and risks more clearly. To safeguard our human skills, we should all stay acutely attuned to the progress and upcoming developments of AI and technology in general.

One major advantage, albeit a current business detriment, is our talent and skills deficit. It continues to provide ample opportunity to be ahead of the AI skills curve. Your job will change. That is a given. Assess the potential impact on your job and the timing, educate yourself, upskill, and most importantly, leverage your precious and beautiful human skills. Don’t take them for granted. Use them regularly and consistently, developing and improving upon them for better and higher performance.

Originally published by www.managersandleaders.com.au