AI Research
Why soft skills matter more than ever in the age of AI
From robotics on factory assembly lines to ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) is as prevalent in major industries as it is on our smartphones. From some perspectives, that expansion is revolutionary; recent studies have found that AI has the potential to provide more accurate medical diagnoses and help make sense of complex and unwieldy data.
But AI is lacking in one critical workplace quality: soft skills.
“Soft skills are highly transferable skills that power most of our day-to-day interactions — things like collaboration, communication, creativity and the ability to learn,” says Madeline Mann, a human resources and career strategist.
This aligns with the U.S. Department of Labor’s findings that emotional intelligence at work, such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking and professionalism, are now essential and precisely the areas where artificial intelligence falls short.
Here’s why soft skills matter more than ever for the future of work and how they may be the real differentiator in your next job search or promotion.
Why soft skills matter in today’s job market
If soft skills involve things like empathy and communication, hard skills are measurable abilities — such as data analysis, coding or technical writing — typically acquired through training or education. Those things are essential, of course, but they serve as a baseline.
Mann uses a doctor as an example. “The doctors who are most appreciated and have the lowest rate of litigation have great bedside manner. That’s soft skills,” she explains. “Most people don’t know where their doctor went to school, but they do remember how that doctor made them feel.”
According to 2023 research from the science journal Heliyon, even in tech fields like engineering or logistics, more than 40% of all skills required by employers are skills AI can’t replace, including critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving and flexibility.
Mann says it’s the same for any career. “Soft skills shape how people experience you, and that can be the edge that sets you apart,” she notes.
How to showcase soft skills to hiring managers
So, how do you demonstrate these skills when it counts?
In an interview, you won’t necessarily mention the soft skills you possess, but you can demonstrate them to a hiring manager. The key is to prepare examples from your past roles that show your character.
“Instead of just saying you launched a campaign that increased app downloads, explain your thought process: How did you come up with the idea? How did you get others on board? Did you have to collaborate across departments, navigate cultural dynamics or adjust on the fly when budget or timing shifted?” Mann says.
Those small details that demonstrate your ability to communicate and be flexible will make you stand out.
“People land interviews because of their hard skills, but they land jobs and promotions because of their soft skills,” she says.
AI can’t replace relationship-building
Among all soft skills, the ability to build genuine relationships stands out as especially irreplaceable in an AI-driven world. Even when teams are fully remote, the workplace remains a social community, not just a network of tasks.
Employees who can forge genuine connections, collaborate across departments and leverage emotional intelligence are becoming indispensable.
“We’re entering a phase where personalization is rare, and authenticity is craved,” Mann explains.
Her observations have borne out. A study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior highlighted that professionals who engage in networking (especially via platforms like LinkedIn) see better promotions, higher compensation and greater career satisfaction.
In other words, networking isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a relationship-building exercise that machines can’t mimic, and it can directly impact your upward mobility and help set you up for a promotion.
How soft skills can fast-track your promotion
Promotions rely heavily on AI-proof skills, Mann notes. It’s not just about doing great work; it’s about making sure the right people see it. That’s why building strong relationships with your manager, teammates and colleagues across departments is essential.
According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Trends Report, managers say soft skills are equally — if not more — important than hard skills. Communication has consistently ranked among the top skills employers seek and was the most in-demand skill in 2024.
To raise your profile, Mann recommends staying connected with colleagues across the organization and paying attention to their needs. This awareness allows you to step in on high-impact projects, often before you’re even asked.
“The goal is to keep raising your value through relationships, visibility and contribution. The more people who see you as valuable and easy to work with, the more likely they are to advocate for what you want in your role,” says Mann.
The human edge
As AI continues to reshape what jobs look like, the human edge will come from what machines still can’t do: build trust, read the room and rally a team. “So yes, master your craft,” Mann says. “But also cultivate likability, strong communication and collaboration to have a successful career.”
In other words, the most future-proof skill might just be your humanity.
What is USA TODAY Top Workplaces 2025?
If you’re looking for a job where soft skills are rewarded, we can help. Each year, USA TODAY Top Workplaces, a collaboration between Energage and USA TODAY, ranks organizations across the U.S. that excel at creating a positive work environment for their employees. Employee feedback determines the winners.
In 2025, over 1,500 companies earned recognition as top workplaces. Check out our overall U.S. rankings. You can also gain insights into top-ranked regional employers by checking out the links below.
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AI Research
AI, Wrong Guy: Investigating the use and dangers of artificial intelligence in Jacksonville policing – Action News Jax
A Lee County man was wrongfully arrested last year after AI facial recognition technology used by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office got it wrong. Experts are now warning about the potential dangers of the technology.
The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said 51-year-old Robert Dillon allegedly tried luring a 12-year-old child in Jacksonville Beach back in November of 2023. According to a police report, Dillon was linked to a suspect caught on surveillance video in a Jacksonville Beach McDonald’s through the use of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s AI facial recognition technology.
Jacksonville Beach PD conferred with JSO, according to the report, and the technology found a 93% match between Dillon and the suspect using that technology. The report says police then provided a photo spread of Dillon and other similar-looking individuals to two witnesses. Both identified Dillon as the suspect.
However, the case would later be completely dropped. The state attorney’s office told Action News Jax the arrest will be wiped from Mr. Dillon’s record.
“Police are not allowed under the Constitution to arrest somebody without probable cause,” Nate Freed-Wessler with the American Civil Liberties Union would later tell Action News Jax. “And this technology expressly cannot provide probable cause, it is so glitchy, it’s so unreliable. At best, it has to be viewed as an extremely unreliability lead because it often, often gets it wrong.”
Freed-Wessler is the deputy director for the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. He was also part of the legal team that helped sue on behalf of Robert Williams – a Detroit man wrongfully arrested thanks to facial recognition similar to the technology used to identify Dillon. The Detroit Police department settled that case for $300,000 in damages, and implemented safeguards when using AI facial recognition in their investigations.
Freed-Wessler told Action News Jax that wrongful arrests using AI facial recognition are more common than many think, especially among people of color.
“It’s partly because of photo quality problems in low light situations, when the cameras are trying to identify darker skin people,” Freed-Wessler explained. “In fact, in almost all of the wrongful arrest cases around the country that we know of, it’s been black people who have been incorrectly, wrongfully picked up by police.”
Action News Jax sat down with Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters to discuss the use of AI facial recognition technology in Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigations. Sheriff Waters reassured the technology is simply a small piece of the investigative puzzle.
“If you came to me with a facial recognition hit and that was your probable cause, I would probably kick you out of my office because that’s not how it works,” Sheriff Waters explained. “And I can’t speak to [the Jacksonville Beach Police Department’s] investigation. I can tell you this, there better be a lot more that goes along with that to help make sure that we have the proper individual too.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
However, Freed-Wessler believes this procedure wasn’t properly followed by Jacksonville Beach police in their investigation, adding that photo spreads based on a facial recognition match aren’t sufficient evidence to make an arrest.
“When this technology gets it wrong, it’s going to get it wrong with a face of somebody who looks similar to the suspect,” Freed-Wessler explained. “It’s no surprise that when police juice a lineup procedure with a doppelganger, with a lookalike, a witness is going to choose an innocent person.”
Now, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department tells Action News Jax the investigation is still open after Dillon was cleared of any wrongdoing, adding in part:
“We will not be commenting on this matter beyond stating that all warrant requests are submitted to the state attorney’s office. It is solely their decision whether or not to move forward with issuing a warrant.”
Action News Jax reached out to the state attorney’s office as well. A spokesman only confirmed Dillon was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Now, Dillon’s lawyer tells Action News Jax that he is seeking compensation, although he and Dillon declined interview requests.
Meanwhile Courtney Barclay, an AI policy expert at Jacksonville University, said law enforcement agencies across the nation will continue to use AI and facial recognition. Barclay outlined the need to always second-guess.
“Every industry is just now starting to scratch the surface of the potential of AI, how it can impact our society. Law enforcement is no exception,” Barclay said. “And so, again, we just want to be cognizant of the risks.”
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