JOHANNESBURG – A major international study that included South African businesses has found that the skills that make us uniquely human, like empathy and critical thinking, can’t be replicated by AI.

And these uniquely human attributes are becoming more valuable, not less.

The research, conducted by WSJ Intelligence in partnership with Philip Morris International (PMI), surveyed over 2,500 business professionals across five countries: South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil. This makes it the largest-scale study of its kind.

The findings were unveiled at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity earlier this month (23 June), with the full report set for release in September.

While AI is taking over more tasks at work, the human touch is still irreplaceable. The study calls this the “Human Premium”, basically the value of gut instinct, ethical thinking, and creative problem-solving that only people can bring to the table.

What the numbers say

Here are the six main findings that South African professionals should pay attention to:

• We’re using AI, but not really trusting it: Most people (83%) use AI tools weekly for research and information gathering. But only 57% actually trust what it spits out without double-checking.
• Humans still get the final say: When AI gives one answer and your gut says something else, 62% of professionals globally, including South Africans, believe human intuition should win out, especially for creative and strategic decisions.
• We might be getting lazy: Critical thinking topped the list as the most important workplace skill. But here’s the catch: people also think it’s the skill most at risk of disappearing if we rely too much on AI.
• Soft skills are the new gold: Over the next three years, creative empathy and adaptability are expected to become even more important in the workplace.
• The boss loves AI more than you do: Senior executives are twice as likely as junior staff to say they’re AI experts (33% vs 15%) and to trust what AI tells them.
• We’re using our free time wisely: Good news here. Seven out of 10 professionals are taking the time AI saves them and using it for more meaningful, strategic work.

What it means for South Africa

South African companies are dealing with the same challenges as businesses worldwide, and that is how to embrace AI without losing the human skills that actually drive innovation and smart decision-making.

The study warns about “cognitive atrophy”, which is a fancy way of saying our brains might get rusty if we let AI do too much of our thinking for us.

If you’re curious about how well you handle decision-making in an AI-driven world, there’s an online test called “Reality Check” you can take.

A full report on how to keep human thinking sharp in AI-heavy workplaces is coming later this year.