A growing body of evidence suggests that over-reliance on AI could be eroding the human skills needed to use it effectively. Research warns this emerging human skills deficit threatens the successful adoption of AI and, with it, an opportunity for economic growth.

It feels like not a day goes by without another proclamation about how AI will change our world. Every business leader I speak to is either investing in AI, planning to invest, or worried they are being left behind. We see the big numbers, like Accenture’s prediction that AI could inject £736 billion into the UK economy. The hype is deafening.

But amid all this noise, a quieter and more worrying counter-narrative is beginning to take shape. We’ve seen it in reports from places like MIT: that nagging sense that leaning too heavily on AI tools might be making us less sharp.

New findings published by the learning scientists at Multiverse have put a finger on exactly what’s at stake. Their report suggests that our singular obsession with AI itself is causing us to ignore the most important part of the equation: us.

The warning is that without actively cultivating our own human skills, this multi-million-pound investment in AI won’t just underdeliver; it could fail entirely. We risk creating a human skills deficit that could hamstring productivity for years to come.

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse, said: “Leaders are spending millions on AI tools, but their investment focus isn’t going to succeed. They think it’s a technology problem when it’s really a human and technology problem.

“Without a deliberate focus on capabilities like analytical reasoning and creativity, as well as culture and behaviours, AI projects will never deliver up to their potential.”

It’s a point that resonates. We’ve all seen a generative AI produce a block of text or code in seconds. But what happens next? That’s where the real work begins, and it’s work that demands uniquely human talents.

The Multiverse team spent time observing what separates a casual AI user from a true ‘power user’. They identified thirteen key skills that have little to do with writing the perfect prompt and everything to do with thinking, reasoning, and reflecting. It’s not just about what you ask the AI to do, but how you analyse, question, and refine what it gives you back.

Take analytical reasoning. It’s the human skill to look at a complex problem and break it down into pieces the AI can handle, but it’s also the wisdom to recognise when a task is simply not right for a machine. It’s about being the pilot, not just a passenger. 

Similarly, creativity is what pushes us to experiment and find genuinely new ways to use these tools, rather than just asking for a slightly better version of something that already exists.

There’s also personal character traits. Skills like determination (i.e. the sheer patience to keep trying when the AI gives you garbage) and adaptability are necessary. Anyone who has used these tools knows that first-time success is rare. A certain resilience and deep-seated curiosity is required to look beyond the AI’s answer and fact-check its work with your own expertise.

Imogen Stanley, Senior Learning Scientist at Multiverse, commented: “We need to start looking beyond technical skills and think about the human skills that the workforce must hone to get the best out of AI.

“What we found during our first principles research phase was that skills like ethical oversight, output verification, and creative experimentation are the real differentiators of power AI users.”

This feels like the crux of the matter. Are we training people to be passive users or active drivers? Right now, the conversation is dominated by the technology. But the real competitive advantage won’t come from having the best AI model; it will come from having the people who know how to get the best out of it.

The future will be about nurturing our own human skills and intelligence just as much as we’re developing the artificial kind. If we don’t, we risk building a future where we have all the answers, but have forgotten how to ask the right questions.

(Photo by Maxim Berg)

See also: Zuckerberg outlines Meta’s AI vision for ‘personal superintelligence’

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