Interpersonal Skills and Domain Expertise Are Necessary for Working With AI

Since AI has become an integral part of the corporate world, there has been much speculation about its potential to transform work. It has been understood from the start that humans would be essential to the functioning of AI, as reported in the Harvard Business Review. However, the question now is, How do leaders integrate AI with their workforce to achieve their desired business outcomes?

The Harvard Business Review conducted dozens of in-depth CEO interviews beginning in November 2022. The goal was to identify how generative AI has changed the practices of leading firms and extract lessons for success.

The interviews demonstrated the importance of developing individual human competencies. It is the human ability to understand context — which AI tools lack — that necessitates the need for greater human skills.

Two categories of human skills were seen as critical. First are effective interpersonal skills, such as basic conflict resolution, communication, skills of disconnecting from emotions, and mindfulness practices. Second is domain expertise, with a focus on preserving that expertise among experienced employees and developing it among young inexperienced workers.

The real issue is how to implement the integration of humans with AI in practice, and the solution is the Harvard Business Review’s Four I framework.

• The first layer of the framework is intentionality, that is, purposely designing the company’s business model around AI capability.
• The second layer is integration across all functions of the enterprise, replacing silos with horizontal connectivity.
• The third is implementation. Here familiarity with AI capabilities and how best to use them is critical.
• Fourth is indication, or performance measurement tied directly to the business model using generative AI.

Competitive advantage cannot be achieved without humans. AI is only a tool. It is the integration of humans, a well-thought-out business model, and efficient processes that will transform organizations.