The Great Future of Work Paradox: More Technology Means More Human Skills Are Needed

First Ascent Group provide a new Future of Work portfolio of standalone workshops to help you navigate the AI Paradox.

Why Behavioural Skills Will Decide the Future of Work

We are reaching the point where eyes start to glaze over at the mere mention of the ‘Future of Work’. We know that AI is here, digitalisation is inevitable, and yes, we all need to upskill. It can feel like a relentless procession of buzzwords, yet many training sessions, webinars, and articles skirt the most crucial element of change.

Future-of-work discussions have been dominated by the ‘what’ (AI, Digitalisation) and the ‘how’ (Implementation, Tools). However, the central question needs to be the ‘who’. Who will use these tools? Who will provide the context, the ethics and the creativity to implement change effectively? Who will manage the expectations (both positive and negative) and who will alleviate the concerns of those worried about losing their jobs?

The answer, of course, is your people. But only if you invest in them not just as operators of technology, but as the human engine that gives it purpose and direction.

With 62% of employees fearing that AI will replace them¹, responsible employers need to prioritise training and development programmes that help employees understand the potential and limitations of AI and how to work effectively with it.

Shadow AI In Your Organisation

Humans are fundamentally and naturally curious. Curiosity has played a crucial role in our evolution (by helping us find new habitats and food sources, etc.) and has enabled us to adapt, navigate, and adjust throughout history.

It is therefore no surprise to learn that 55% of UK employees admit to using unapproved AI tools at work.² Shadow AI refers to the unauthorised use of AI tools or applications by employees, i.e., without approval from their IT department or employer. This curiosity for AI needs to be harnessed by employers to promote a culture of trust, innovation and yes, curiosity. Providing impactful training to explore both the potential and the limitations of these tools can reduce shadow AI and the risks associated.

A Journey in Statistics

The following journey image, using statistics from recent research reports, provides a compelling case for investment in essential skills training to maximise the potential of AI and automation:

The case for skills training increases when we also consider the UK’s productivity growth which has been slowing for the past 15 years. Indeed, additional working hours have been contributing more to GDP growth than better productivity!¹² Meanwhile, recent Accenture research has shown productivity gains of up to 20% are anticipated in companies that are leading in AI adoption.¹³

Those organisations, and people, with an “if I ignore it, it will go away” stance regarding AI, risk not only losing their best people but also being left behind by their competitors.

“People need to understand the limitations of AI as well as the possibilities, Schneider has made AI training mandatory. We have trained 140 000 people. We cannot afford to avoid it if we want to make innovations.”

Philippe Rambach
SVP, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
Schneider Electric SE

The Skills AI Cannot Replace

To support organisations who recognise the productivity gains AI and automation can bring, First Ascent Group has created a unique Future of Work Portfolio. A suite of 9 individual workshops designed using the latest research in social neuroscience, each addressing a critical Future of Work essential skill (as reported in the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs Report’). Below, we outline each of the workshops, which have been created to build the human capabilities the workplace now depends on.

Choose any combination of workshops to suit your organisation's priorities, from a single focused session to the complete portfolio.

Adaptive Mindset

The World Economic Forum identifies creative thinking as an essential future skill, best attained by utilising the brilliance of diverse brains within a team or organisation.

This workshop focuses on providing a contemporary understanding of cognitive diversity and adaptability, in ourselves and our teams.

Remember: AI updates; humans pivot.

Human-Centric Leadership

The identifies leadership as a quality that anyone can possess, develop and apply, regardless of function or seniority in an organisation.

This workshop equips participants with the latest social neuroscience-backed skills to enhance influence and impact. Of particular importance is the tailoring of communications to everyone we work with.

Remember: AI manages tasks; humans inspire teams.

Distributed Intelligence

The World Economic Forum identifies the importance of having the skills to deliver personal impact on others and organisations, irrespective of function or seniority.

This workshop equips participants with the skills and confidence to drive innovation across a system. It brings to life the latest distributed leadership research to enable innovation in a multi-constituent “system”.

Remember: AI remixes; humans innovate.

Accelerated Collaboration

The World Economic Forum recognises the value of gathering human resources to achieve tasks, including the allocation of work based on skills and preferences.

This workshop equips participants with the skills and techniques to drive accelerated collaboration within both stable and transient teams. It utilises social analytic theory to support effective collaboration.

Remember: AI connects data; humans connect people.

AI Judgement

The World Economic Forum emphasises the importance of selecting the right tools for tasks, as well as the skills needed to set up and operate rapidly developing technologies.

This workshop develops an understanding of how and when to use human judgement in utilising AI, building critical skills for productive collaboration with the technology.

Remember: AI processes information; humans apply wisdom

Future Teaming

The World Economic Forum highlights talent management as a vital skill for future of work success.

This workshop applies social neuroscience to create high-performance, resilient teams that deliver results quickly and with high engagement.

Remember: AI detects sentiment; humans build trust.

Critical Reasoning

The World Economic Forum identifies the need to break down complex ideas into fundamental principles. This includes ensuring judgements are made from objectively analysing and interpreting facts and information.

This workshop equips participants with the skills and techniques to apply critical thinking, thereby avoiding self-enforcing bubbles.

Remember: AI follows patterns; humans question them.

Change Agility

The World Economic Forum highlights the critical role of maturity, poise and flexibility when dealing with the pressure and setbacks often associated with change.

This workshop provides participants with a science-based approach to managing and leading continuous change in organisations.

Remember: AI models scenarios; humans navigate complexity.

Generational Dynamics

The World Economic Forum identifies the importance of curiosity for new perspectives and for lifelong learning when approaching current and future challenges.

This workshop focusses on how we can leverage generational differences, to improve workplace engagement, resilience and performance.

Remember: AI learns data; humans learn from each other.

These are the skills that create resilient, high performing, future ready teams — the kind that deliver productivity gains not because someone demanded it, but because your organisation enables it.

The First Ascent Group’s workshops are facilitated by a highly experienced team and can be tailormade to the unique requirements of every client.

Is your organisation building the human skills needed to not just survive, but thrive, in the AI age? The challenges of fear, change management, and skills gaps are real, but they are solvable. Our Future of Work workshops will help you build a culture where technology empowers people.

¹ https://yougov.com/en-gb/reports/49495-uk-attitudes-towards-artificial-intelligence-in-the-public-sector

² https://ukstories.microsoft.com/features/rise-in-shadow-ai-tools-raising-security-concerns-for-uk/

³ https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2024/01/14/ai-will-transform-the-global-economy-lets-make-sure-it-benefits-humanity

⁴ https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/business/software/uk-artificial-intelligence-ai-statistics/#sources

⁵ https://www.salesforce.com/uk/news/stories/morning-consult-ai-worker-readiness-report-2025/

⁶ https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-calls-step-change-uk-approach-ai-poll-finds-majority-public-are-concerned-over-jobs

⁷ https://www.orgvue.com/content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Orgvue-AI-and-Workforce-Transformation-eBook-Spring-2025.pdf

⁸ https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.06823

⁹ https://www.kyndryl.com/content/dam/kyndrylprogram/doc/en/2025/people-readiness-report.pdf

¹⁰ +¹¹ https://uk.newsroom.ibm.com/ai-productivity-survey-2025

¹² https://www.productivity.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TPI-Agenda-for-Productivity-2023-FINAL.pdf

¹³ https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-3/Accenture-The-Productivity-Payoff.pdf