Human judgement will become more valuable in age of AI

Tech strategist Kate O’Neill tells Learnovation 2026 that human judgement and skills will become more valuable as AI transforms the workplace.

Human judgement will become increasingly valuable as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace, according to global technology strategist Kate O’Neill.

O’Neill, founder and CEO of strategic advisory firm KO Insights, told Learnovation 2026 in Dublin this week that businesses and employees need to recognise the importance of skills such as judgement, contextual awareness and emotional intelligence as AI becomes more widely used.

Speaking at the annual learning summit at the Aviva Stadium, O’Neill said the rapid development of AI is concentrating the value of human skills.

“AI does not reduce the need for human skill; it concentrates its value. I’m not saying that there’s nothing to the AI hype. We do need to upskill and pay attention to what’s changing around us or we are going to very quickly feel like we’re living in a foreign land. But that’s true of any change in history. And the existential angst that people are feeling now about being left behind by AI is perhaps a little overwrought. It’s hyped up by a lot of the AI companies that want you to pay into their models.

“We need to start with humans, not tech. We need to use AI to augment existing relationships and not to dictate strategy. You can have all the greatest tech in the world but we have to be the ones to decide how to use it and use the tools as leaders and not be led by them.”

INSIGHTS: AI and human skills

The tech humanist

Known internationally as the “Tech Humanist”, O’Neill is speaking in Ireland for the first time. She is the author of six books and has worked with companies and institutions including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, the UN, Yale, Harvard and Cambridge.

The theme of this yea opr’s Learnovation summit is Human Skills That Power the AI World. The event is organised by The Learnovate Centre, which is based at Trinity College Dublin.

O’Neill said people need to develop a clearer understanding of the skills they bring to work and how those abilities interact with AI.

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“We need to really know what our human skills are: judgement, contextual awareness, emotional intelligence and all of those kinds of things. But we also need to know how that interacts with the AI tools and systems that are increasingly part of the infrastructure of work. Having that two-part understanding, I think, is really critical to navigating these next moments of the future well.

“We do have a place in the future and human judgement will be the key skill needed. We need to feel stronger about our own decision-making and judgement and not be swayed by how fast and confident AI can seem. We will never be as confident as AI, even when it is wrong, as it is manufactured, but we should have confidence in our own lived experience. This human judgement is also what will allow us to be able to see through the cheap, AI slop which has become so pervasive around us.”

O’Neill also pointed to the impact of automation on employment and the decisions companies are making about the use of AI.

“Even if it is a number crunching task, you still need the human to assess the AI’s output. There are human components around communication, storytelling, context and judgement needed. This aspect isn’t understood by a lot of managers who are making very short-term decisions, cutting jobs to rely more on AI and then realising the mistake they’ve made. There is a lot of chaos in the short-term but there is a place for us in the future. Don’t give up or lose heart, instead double down on the skills and learning you have and be adaptable, resilient and ready.”

Nessa McEniff, Managing Director of The Learnovate Centre, said the question of which human skills will become more valuable is increasingly important for employers and employees.

“Kate’s message goes right to the heart of what we will be exploring at Learnovation 2026. The conversation about AI can quickly become a conversation about what technology can replace but there are equally important questions about what becomes more valuable as technology advances.

“Human judgement, creativity, critical thinking, communication and adaptability will be central to how successfully people and organisations navigate this change. Learnovation 2026 is about understanding how we develop those skills alongside our ability to use new technologies.”

Learnovation 2026 brings together leaders from education, industry, research and innovation to examine the future of learning and work in an increasingly AI-powered world.

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