As artificial intelligence becomes a larger part of everyday work, experts argue that professionals should focus not only on mastering AI tools but also on cultivating the human abilities that technology cannot replicate. Francisco Tonarely, a Miami-based Business Development Representative in enterprise technology, emphasizes that communication, adaptability, judgment, curiosity, and relationship-building are becoming increasingly important in an AI-supported workplace. He believes AI can expand capabilities, but professionals still need to understand context, evaluate information, and decide when to question the technology's output.
"The goal should not be to compete with AI at the things it can do faster," Tonarely said. "The opportunity is to become better at the things that still require context, judgment, communication, and understanding other people."
Recent research supports this view. Deloitte's 2026 Global Human Capital Trends research, conducted with Oxford Economics and drawing on responses from more than 9,000 business and HR leaders across 89 countries, found that 85% of leaders consider developing organizational and workforce adaptability critical. Yet only 7% said their organizations are leading in helping workers continuously grow and adapt.
Tonarely places adaptability near the top of the list because AI is changing both the tools people use and the expectations surrounding their jobs. Deloitte's research illustrates the pace of change: one-third of workers surveyed experienced 15 major changes during the previous year, and only 27% said their organizations managed change effectively. For Tonarely, adaptability means being willing to reconsider how work gets done when a better approach emerges, but with discipline. "You cannot change direction every time something new gets attention," he said. "At the same time, you cannot become so attached to the way you have always worked that you stop noticing when there is a better way."
Curiosity is another skill Tonarely sees as increasingly important. AI can provide answers quickly, but the quality of those answers depends on the questions people ask. Someone who is curious is more likely to ask why an answer makes sense, what information might be missing, and how it applies to the situation. Deloitte's January 2026 study of 1,394 employees highlighted curiosity as one of the enduring human capabilities associated with high-performing teams in the AI era. Tonarely believes curiosity is particularly important for younger professionals, as easy access to information should not be confused with expertise. "AI can help you learn, but you still have to care enough to understand what you are learning," he said.
Judgment is another skill that deserves more attention. AI can summarize information and suggest responses, but someone must decide whether those suggestions make sense in a particular situation. Deloitte's research argues that competitive differentiation is increasingly tied to human capabilities such as adaptability, creativity, and judgment. "Good judgment comes from understanding the situation, not just having information," Tonarely said. "You have to consider what you know, what you do not know, who is affected, and what could happen after the decision."
Communication also matters more when information is easier to produce. AI can generate reports, emails, and presentations quickly, but effective communication still depends on understanding the audience. "You can have all the information in the world and still communicate it poorly," Tonarely said. In enterprise technology sales, where he works, conversations can involve different priorities and levels of technical understanding, so recognizing the difference is key.
Finally, relationship-building cannot be automated in the same way as tasks. AI can help with preparation and follow-ups, but trust develops through repeated interactions. "You still have another person on the other side of the conversation," Tonarely said. "Technology can help you prepare, but it cannot make somebody trust you. That comes from how you communicate and what you consistently do."
Tonarely does not see the conversation as a choice between becoming better with AI or developing stronger human skills. Professionals will increasingly need both. Deloitte found that only 6% of leaders said their organizations were making progress in designing effective interactions between people and AI, and 65% believed their culture needed to change significantly because of AI. These figures suggest that providing access to AI tools is only part of the challenge; organizations also have to help people learn how to work differently.
Tonarely believes individuals can take responsibility for their own development by experimenting with AI while continuing to strengthen their judgment, communication, adaptability, and relationships. "The people who do well are not necessarily going to be the ones who resist AI or the ones who depend on it for everything," he said. "I think it will be the people who learn how to use it while continuing to develop their own judgment, communication, adaptability, and relationships."
