Is AI making communication skills less important?

A question I’m hearing more often is: “If AI can write my emails, proposals and reports, are communication skills becoming less important?”

My view is that they’re becoming more important, not less. I believe trust is almost at an all-time low. We increasingly don’t trust the content we read or see.

AI is enormously useful. It can help us organise our thoughts, draft content, analyse information and research a subject much faster. But communication is about far more than finding the right words.

In a real conversation, you need to notice when someone hesitates, sense what they’re not saying, recognise concern or enthusiasm and respond appropriately. You need to listen properly, ask good questions and show genuine interest in the other person.

Those are the skills that build trust. And as polished, AI-generated content becomes commonplace, I suspect we’ll place even greater value on people who sound like themselves, think for themselves and connect with us properly.

Because when an important decision has to be made, people don’t judge the idea alone. They also need confidence in the person presenting it.

AI can help us communicate - but trust is still built person to person.

“A Word to the Wise - Communication Tips from Lionheart Consulting”