As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily work, the conversation often centers on technical proficiency with AI tools. However, Francisco Tonarely, a business development representative in enterprise technology, argues that the true competitive edge lies in honing human abilities that AI cannot replicate. These include adaptability, curiosity, judgment, communication, and relationship-building—skills that become increasingly vital as AI handles more routine tasks.
Tonarely emphasizes that the goal is not to compete with AI on speed or efficiency but to excel in areas requiring context, judgment, and interpersonal understanding. "The opportunity is to become better at the things that still require context, judgment, communication, and understanding other people," he said. This perspective aligns with recent research from Deloitte's 2026 Global Human Capital Trends, which surveyed over 9,000 leaders across 89 countries. The study found that 85% of leaders consider developing organizational adaptability critical, yet only 7% believe their organizations are leading in helping workers continuously grow and adapt.
Adaptability, according to Tonarely, is not about chasing every new trend but about being open to reconsidering how work is done when better approaches emerge. Deloitte's research underscores the pace of change, with one-third of workers experiencing 15 major changes in the past year. Only 27% said their organizations managed change effectively, and a mere 8% were highly effective at meeting continuous learning needs. "Adaptability needs some discipline behind it," Tonarely noted. "You cannot change direction every time something new gets attention. 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 deems essential. With AI providing quick answers, the quality of those answers depends on the questions asked. A curious professional will probe deeper, asking why an answer makes sense, what information might be missing, and whether other interpretations exist. Deloitte's January 2026 study of 1,394 employees highlighted curiosity as one of the enduring human capabilities for high-performing teams in the AI era, alongside resilience, divergent thinking, and emotional intelligence. Tonarely believes curiosity is especially vital for younger professionals, who must avoid mistaking easy access to information for true expertise. "AI can help you learn, but you still have to care enough to understand what you are learning," he said.
Judgment remains irreplaceable. AI can summarize, identify patterns, and suggest actions, but humans must decide if those suggestions fit the context, especially when information is incomplete or ambiguous. Deloitte's research argues that competitive differentiation increasingly relies on human capabilities like judgment, as organizations taking a technology-focused approach to AI were 1.6 times more likely not to achieve returns exceeding expectations than those with a human-centered approach. "Good judgment comes from understanding the situation, not just having information," Tonarely said.
Communication also becomes more critical as AI makes information production easier. Tonarely stresses that effective communication depends on understanding the audience. "You can have all the information in the world and still communicate it poorly," he said. This is particularly relevant in enterprise sales, where conversations involve different priorities and technical levels. Relationship-building cannot be automated. While AI can prepare professionals for meetings, trust is built through consistent, genuine interactions. "Technology can help you prepare, but it cannot make somebody trust you," Tonarely said.
Tonarely believes AI and human skills should develop together, not be seen as an either/or proposition. Deloitte found that only 6% of leaders said their organizations were making progress in designing effective human-AI interactions, and 65% believed their culture needed significant change due to AI. This suggests that simply providing AI tools is insufficient; organizations must help people learn to work differently. Individuals can also take responsibility by experimenting with AI while strengthening their judgment, communication, and relationships.
As AI becomes ordinary, these human skills may become less visible but more important. Tonarely concludes, "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. I think it will be the people who learn how to use it while continuing to develop their own judgment, communication, adaptability, and relationships."
