No one can accurately predict the future, right? Well, I will make a prediction that I’m willing to stand by…
The future will be faster, noisier, and more automated than it is today.
Artificial intelligence will keep getting better.
Better at writing code.
Better at analyzing data.
Better at predicting trends.
And yet, with all of that, there will always be one thing AI can’t do – emote.
What AI Will (and Won’t) Own
We know that automation will continue to progress, mastering tasks such as diagnosing diseases, composing music, and coordinating supply chains in real time. And all of that is necessary and good.
But there is a limit. While AI can process what is happening and even suggest how to act, it cannot answer the question that really matters:
WHY?
Why we choose one path over another.
Why we should take a stand when it’s unpopular.
Why someone needs a little grace.
No algorithm can answer those questions. It requires judgement. Experience. Wisdom. All of which are the essence of emotional intelligence.
A Different Kind of Growth
Progress has come from continuous improvement in technical skills, knowledge, and their applications. Machines can outperform us in speed and scale, but that isn’t the real differentiator.
How quickly we can crunch numbers and access information falls considerably short of how deeply we can connect with one another.True growth will come as a result of being able to pair data with discernment. It will come down to who can read the spreadsheet AND read the room.
The Final Point
AI is incredible. Amazing. Unlike any technology we’ve recently experienced.
But it’s still, well, artificial.
EI? It’s the real thing. The advantage that AI can’t and never will replicate.
Yes, the world is racing towards more automation, but you don’t have to conform. Don’t try to out-machine the machines.
Out-human them.
The future doesn’t belong to the most technologically advanced.
It belongs to the most emotionally intelligent.