Best skills to survive AI: As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes workplaces, economist and futurist Linda Nazareth says workers need to develop an “armor”, which would be a set of uniquely human skills that machines can’t replace, as per a report.

How to build career protection against AI

During an interview with Global News on Sunday, Nazareth said that the best way to "AI-proof" a career is by mastering qualities like, "Resilience, creativity, empathy, motivation and self-awareness, curiosity, service orientation, and teaching and mentoring," as quoted by a Business Insider report. She mentioned that these will become increasingly valuable in an AI-driven economy.

Why these human skills matter

Nazareth emphasized that,"Developing these skills gives you a little bit of armor against all the changes ahead," as quoted by Business Insider.

She even highlighted that AI was "somewhat different" from past technological shifts because, unlike earlier tools that merely changed how people work, AI can now "replace" entire job functions, as reported by Business Insider.

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Who really benefits from AI productivity

Nazareth raised questions about how the benefits of AI-led productivity gains and profits will be shared, "Will it flow to workers at all? Will there be some benefits there? Will it be a small number of people? Will it show up in tax revenues?" as quoted in the report.

Fewer entry-level jobs may hurt future leadership

She also expressed concern that AI is replacing many entry-level white-collar roles, potentially disrupting the pipeline for future managers and leaders, as per the Business Insider report. Nazareth pointed out that, "It's a real concern of mine, because how are you going to have the middle and higher-level workers if you don't train them?" as quoted in the report.

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Which jobs are most and least exposed to AI

Her comments follow an Indeed GenAI Skill Transformation Index report, which found that 41% of nearly 2,900 common work skills could be significantly transformed by AI, as reported by Business Insider. While 26% were "highly" exposed, and 46% of skills in a typical job posting were likely to undergo a "hybrid transformation," according to the report.

The study said software development is among the most exposed roles, while jobs requiring physical presence and human touch, like nursing, are less affected, as per the Business Insider report.

Meanwhile, Microsoft researchers analyzed 200,000 Copilot chats and found that while AI supports tasks like research, writing, and communication, it still can’t fully perform any single occupation on its own, at least not yet, according to the report.

FAQs

Which skills are considered “AI-proof”?
Nazareth lists resilience, creativity, empathy, motivation, self-awareness, curiosity, teaching, and service orientation, as per the Business Insider report.

How is AI different from past technologies?
Nazareth says AI doesn’t just change how people work, it can replace whole job functions entirely.