The One Skill AI Can’t Replace — and Why Your Teen Needs It Now

Emotional intelligence, real human connection, and presence are more valuable than ever.

This is the second article in a series about the three essential skills every young person needs for a future-proof career. The first article introduced the full picture: the human skill, the professional skill, and the AI skill.

Now, we’re going to drill into the first one: the human skill — a mix of emotional intelligence, communication, cultural connection, and practical presence that no technology can replace. This is one skill AI can't replace.

A delicate duet between human and machine — where grace meets gears, and artistry transcends anatomy.

The Human Skill

We don’t know exactly what jobs will look like in 20 years, but here’s one thing I tell every teenager and parent: People who know how to connect, stay calm, and read a room will always be needed.

We’re raising kids in a world full of smart tech and AI tools that can do incredible things. AI can answer tough questions, write essays, even help doctors make decisions. And it does so at lightning speed, a fraction of the time it would've taken a human to do it. But there’s one thing AI still can’t do: be human.

What Are Human Skills?

A robot can’t feed a baby with a bottle and provide what the child really needs — the warmth of a heartbeat, eye contact, and human connection. Babies don’t just need nutrition; they need to feel safe, soothed, and socialised. Only a human can do that.

A robot also can’t teach a teenage boy (or girl) is how to stay calm when they’re about to kick a rugby ball between the posts. Confidence and composure are learned through human presence and encouragement, not programming.

And AI can’t give you a critical analysis of a problem without acting like an echo chamber. Right now, most Large Language Models (a type of AI) is designed to reflect existing content, not question it. Humans challenge each other. They ask, “What if we’re wrong?” or “Have you thought about it this way?”

That’s exactly what we need to teach teenagers: how to spot echo chambers, ask better questions, and think for themselves, even when the answers are handed to them by smart tools.

I call this the human touch — a mix of emotional intelligence (EQ) and practical presence. It’s about knowing how to understand emotions, stay calm under pressure, read people, and bring the right energy into the room.

Examples

This category includes:

• Selling skills — because people still buy from people they like and trust.

• Coaching skills — real listening, powerful questioning, and non-judgmental support.

• Psychology and therapy — the deep, complex work of helping people heal and grow.

• Learning how to learn — and creating those true learning moments that light up your eyes.

And then there are the hand skills, the type that AI cannot do — yet.

For example, you can use AI tools to help with colour matching or styling trends, but people will still want to sit in a chair and talk to someone who listens, who smiles, who makes them feel seen and connected. Hairdressers are that. A great cut and a kind word still go a long way.

Flight attendants will still be there long after the pilots are replaced. Why? Because a smile, a calm voice, and the ability to handle people under pressure can’t be coded.

Plumbers? They’ll use AI tools and sophisticated robots to get the job done faster, but we’ll still need real people on site, solving real-world problems.

And what about your local barista? We already have machines that make perfect coffee, but we still sell “handmade coffee”. Why? Because people want that human touch — the person who remembers your order, who smiles at you in the morning, who makes your coffee feel like a moment of connection, personal. Not just a transaction.

And then of course, definitely in entertainment. We’ll still want real paintings on our walls, made by human hands. We’ll still go to the theatre, to dance performances, to concerts — even if dancers perform alongside robots, or singers use AI-generated backing tracks. We’ll still crave the spark of someone who trained, struggled, and performed with their whole heart.

Modelling Human As A Human To Other Humans

So yes, even in entertainment, the human element stays. Because real emotion, real effort, real presence is what moves us.

As parents, we need to model this. Not just by talking about it, but by living it. Perhaps it looks something like this:

• Embrace all new technology — don’t be afraid of it.

• Adapt fast — show your kids that learning new things isn’t scary, it’s exciting.

• Stay curious — pick up skills, explore new tools, ask better questions.

And at the same time, show them what it looks like to be fully human: emotionally present, socially connected, culturally aware.

Because the world is changing fast. But the need for real people — with real presence — isn’t going anywhere.