Workday Where is the Human in the AI Era?

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The increasing use of AI, not only in companies, unsettles many people. And numerous individuals secretly wonder: Will I still be needed in the medium and long term—as a worker and as a human?

"Does artificial intelligence (AI) make humans redundant?" "Will humans still be needed in ten, twenty years to do the jobs?"

Such questions are being asked more and more frequently to consultants—for example, in discussion rounds following (impulse) lectures or in seminars and coaching sessions. Often, a deep sense of insecurity can be felt among the questioners, as artificial intelligence (AI) already seems to be omnipresent today, changing many job profiles and fields of activity. And: it is perceived to be becoming faster, smarter, and more omniscient or omnipotent.

Which Tasks Remain for Humans?

However, if AI increasingly takes over (partial) tasks, the logical question arises: What role do we humans still have—medium- and long-term—in human coexistence, in the working world? Which tasks then remain for us?

My answer to this question is always: a whole lot. Because what defines us as humans cannot simply be programmed. And this is determined not only by what we do but also by how we are.

11 Reasons Why Humans Remain Indispensable:

1. We seek understanding: AI processes information—it does not search for truth. Humans, on the other hand, are driven by curiosity and the desire to understand the world—and themselves. This pursuit of understanding goes beyond data: we humans want to grasp meaning, context, and significance. Only we ask questions like "Why?" and "What does this mean for me, for us, for the world?" AI provides answers—but only humans search for understanding.
2. We feel: AI recognizes emotions—but it does not experience them. A human senses when something shifts: in a conversation, in the room, in interactions. These fine antennas, this intuition for nuances and atmospheres, remains unmistakably human. We are resonators—not just sensors.
3. We reflect on ourselves: (Self-)reflection is not computation. Only humans can consciously examine their thoughts, feelings, and actions—and change themselves. AI can only simulate reflection. Humans can question themselves, their thinking and actions, and grow from it.
4. We have consciousness: AI knows only data. We humans, on the other hand, experience meaning. In our self-awareness—the knowledge that we are and how we are—lies the deepest difference. Consciousness is not a product of training data but of experience and existence.
5. We are creative: Humans do not just master copy & paste; they can also create genuinely new things: humans create art, ideas, and utopias. AI can only combine, replicate, and vary. Humans, on the other hand, can envision, dream, and think radically differently. Innovation arises from courage, imagination, and the leap into the unknown—not from computing power.
6. We decide freely: Algorithms follow logic. And we humans? Sometimes we make decisions beyond reason—for example, out of conviction, love, or based on our stance. Our free will makes us unpredictable. And it is precisely in this that our potential lies.
7. We act according to values: AI does not know ethics or values. It only knows rules and optimizations. Humans, however, weigh options, take responsibility, stand for something, and say no or yes—for reasons that no algorithm can ever comprehend. Value awareness cannot be programmed.
8. We endure contradictions: While AI thinks in black and white, we live in gray zones. We endure tensions, ambivalences, and uncertainties—and can provide orientation and support to others in them. Tolerance for ambiguity is not a flaw in the system; it is one of our strengths.
9. We have intuition: Before our mind analyzes, something within us often already knows what is right. This deeply rooted intelligence—fueled by experience, body perception, and emotion— remains a mystery to AI. Yet, it is often our best compass.
10. We develop meaning: AI recognizes patterns. Humans seek meaning. We ask "why"—not just about processes, but about life itself. Creating meaning, providing orientation, and addressing existential questions—that is profoundly human.
11. We connect: No AI system in the world can replace what often arises between humans: trust, closeness, a sense of connection. We need resonance to grow, lead, and live. Relationship is not a data connection, but an encounter.

The Human Leads, the Technology Follows

We humans must not—consciously or unconsciously—define ourselves by AI; rather, we should become more aware of ourselves as humans. The challenge we face is not to keep up with machines or AI systems but to courageously embody humanity. For example, in everyday interactions, collaboration, and leadership.

We can only use technology meaningfully and without fear if we do not see it as competition.

Instead, we should understand it as a tool that supports us. It can create the freedom we need to live more fully what defines us as humans—and what sets us apart from machines and algorithms.

(kip)

*Barbara Liebermeister heads the Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age (IFIDZ). The management consultant and speaker is also the author of the book "Leading with Alpha Intelligence: Ready for the Working World of the Future," published by Haufe Verlag.

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