Francisco Tonarely Highlights Human Skills Essential in AI-Driven Workplaces

As artificial intelligence becomes a larger part of everyday work, professionals must consider not only how to use AI tools but also which human abilities become more critical when technology handles more tasks. Francisco Tonarely, a Miami-based Business Development Representative in enterprise technology, argues that communication, adaptability, judgment, curiosity, and relationship-building are increasingly vital in an AI-supported workplace. He believes AI can expand capabilities, but professionals still need to understand context, evaluate information, communicate effectively, and decide when to question AI output.

“The goal should not be to compete with AI at the things it can do faster,” Tonarely said. “The opportunity is to become better at the things that still require context, judgment, communication, and understanding other people.” His perspective aligns with recent research from Deloitte’s 2026 Global Human Capital Trends, which surveyed over 9,000 business and HR leaders across 89 countries. The study found that 85% of leaders consider developing organizational and workforce adaptability critical, yet only 7% said their organizations are leading in helping workers continuously grow and adapt.

Tonarely places adaptability near the top of his list because AI is rapidly changing both tools and job expectations. Deloitte’s research underscores this pace: one-third of workers experienced 15 major changes in the past year, and only 27% said their organizations managed change effectively. For Tonarely, adaptability means being open to new approaches without chasing every trend. “Adaptability needs some discipline behind it,” he said. “You cannot change direction every time something new gets attention. At the same time, you cannot become so attached to the way you have always worked that you stop noticing when there is a better way.”

Curiosity is another key skill, as AI can provide quick answers, but the quality of those answers depends on the questions asked. Tonarely encourages professionals to question AI outputs and seek deeper understanding. Deloitte’s January 2026 study of 1,394 employees also identified curiosity as one of the enduring human capabilities associated with high-performing teams in the AI era. “The fact that you can get an answer quickly does not mean you should stop asking questions,” Tonarely said. “If anything, being able to get information faster makes it more important to know which questions are worth asking next.”

Human judgment remains essential, especially when information is incomplete or decisions have no single correct answer. Deloitte’s research argues that competitive differentiation is increasingly tied to human capabilities such as adaptability, creativity, and judgment. Organizations taking a technology-focused approach to AI were 1.6 times more likely not to achieve returns exceeding expectations than those with a human-centered approach. Tonarely emphasizes that “good judgment comes from understanding the situation, not just having information.”

Communication is another area where AI changes the landscape. While AI can produce reports and emails quickly, effective communication still requires understanding the audience. “You can have all the information in the world and still communicate it poorly,” Tonarely said. “You have to understand who you are speaking with, what matters to them, and what they actually need from the conversation.” This is especially relevant in enterprise technology sales, where conversations involve varying levels of technical understanding.

Finally, relationship-building cannot be automated. AI can help with preparation and follow-ups, but trust develops through repeated interactions. “Technology can help you prepare, but it cannot make somebody trust you,” Tonarely said. “That comes from how you communicate and what you consistently do.”

Tonarely believes professionals should develop AI and human skills together. Deloitte found that only 6% of leaders said their organizations were making progress in designing effective human-AI interactions, and 65% said their culture needed significant change due to AI. This suggests that providing access to AI tools is only part of the challenge; organizations must also help people learn to work differently. “The people who do well are not necessarily going to be the ones who resist AI or the ones who depend on it for everything,” Tonarely said. “I think it will be the people who learn how to use it while continuing to develop their own judgment, communication, adaptability, and relationships.”