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In the fast-moving age of AI, you’d be forgiven for assuming that humans will eventually be edged out of the picture. After all, what can’t machines do in 2025?
Generate text: Tick.
Automate workflows: Tick.
Create art: Or some approximation of it... tick.
But while the capabilities of AI are rapidly increasing – and some humans are arguably becoming more dependent on it – human capability is rising to meet it.
Far from replacing people, AI is creating a world in which human skills like judgement and creative thinking are more important than ever before. AI might be able to generate a picture of photo-realistic humans, or create a convincing video, but it can’t relate to human beings like we ourselves can.
That’s why we at Thrive are so excited about our recent acquisition of the UK’s leading mentoring and coaching platform, Guider. Together, we’ll form the first fully-integrated learning, skills, comms, knowledge and mentoring platform – and we can’t wait to see the value this will bring to our customers.
This acquisition has served to emphasise the importance of human connection when it comes to mentoring and coaching – and we thought now was the ideal time to delve deeper into this topic.
In an increasingly AI world, why is human capability more important than ever before? Let’s discuss.
In many ways, AI is doing what every major technological shift has done before: automating repetitive tasks and increasing productivity. The key difference now is speed. Tools like generative AI are evolving faster than any previous wave of technology, and we’re sure we don’t have to detail the many implications this shift has had on every single sector.
Routine roles are being reshaped. Reports, marketing copy, code, and even lesson plans can now be produced by machines. But crucially, what these systems lack is context — the nuance and unpredictability to which humans are so finely attuned. Everything from organisational culture, to ethical implications, to stakeholder needs is held in the database of our imperfect brains. And that’s something AI can’t replicate, try as it might.
This is where people remain critical. AI can surface insights, but it takes human intelligence to decide what exactly to do with them. It can support decisions, but not lead change. It can generate options, but not pick the right one in a messy, complex environment. As AI takes on more (hopefully tedious) tasks, our roles shift towards those that require real human empathy.
If AI is accelerating transformation, it’s also widening the (already slightly cavernous) skills gap.
A McKinsey report found that “demand for technological, social and emotional, and higher cognitive skills will rise by 2030.” The organisations that succeed will be those that can rapidly build these “uniquely human” capabilities at scale.
Yet many companies are not ready. Too often, training focuses on immediate needs — compliance, software updates, product knowledge — without developing the deeper skills that enable people to adapt. In an AI-powered economy, that’s no longer sustainable.
L&D teams have a crucial role to play. More than ever, they are the enablers of organisational agility. They must shift their focus from narrow skills training to capability building — helping employees develop the judgement, learning agility and resilience to thrive in constant change.
Traditional learning approaches often emphasise content delivery. (Think courses, videos, and assessments.) But AI can now generate that content at scale. What it cannot do is guide people through the experience of applying, reflecting on, and growing from it.
That’s where capability development comes in. Rather than asking “what should people know?”, capability-led learning asks “what should people be able to do in the real world, and how can we help them get there?”
This shift requires L&D teams to move beyond content curation and into experience design. It means creating learning that is embedded by that messy, real-world context we mentioned earlier – and supported by coaching. (Hello again, Guider.)
AI can support this in powerful ways (such as surfacing relevant resources, personalising learning paths, and tracking progress) but the vision and strategy must come from real people.
As AI reshapes the world of work, L&D leaders have a strategic mandate: to help their organisations become more adaptive, more human, and increasingly, more resilient.
That means thinking long-term. It means partnering closely with business leaders to understand how work is changing, and where exactly new capabilities are needed. It means using data not just to report on learning, but to inform long-term strategy. And ultimately, it means championing human development.
In this context, L&D becomes an engine for growth. But this requires a shift in mindset — from delivery to enablement, from training to transformation.
The paradox of AI is that the more powerful it becomes, the more we need human strengths. Things like emotional intelligence, ethical judgement, and collaborative problem-solving are not easily replicated by machines, and as a result they’re becoming more valuable by the day.
It’s not just about adapting to AI. It’s about complementing it; creating partnerships between human and machine where each plays to its strengths. In the end, AI won’t replace people — but people who know how to use AI effectively will replace those who don’t. And organisations that invest in human capability now will be the ones that lead tomorrow.
Interested in being one of them? Find out more about Thrive’s new coaching & mentoring capabilities powered by Guider, and book a demo today.
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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In the fast-moving age of AI, you’d be forgiven for assuming that humans will eventually be edged out of the picture. After all, what can’t machines do in 2025?
Generate text: Tick.
Automate workflows: Tick.
Create art: Or some approximation of it... tick.
But while the capabilities of AI are rapidly increasing – and some humans are arguably becoming more dependent on it – human capability is rising to meet it.
Far from replacing people, AI is creating a world in which human skills like judgement and creative thinking are more important than ever before. AI might be able to generate a picture of photo-realistic humans, or create a convincing video, but it can’t relate to human beings like we ourselves can.
That’s why we at Thrive are so excited about our recent acquisition of the UK’s leading mentoring and coaching platform, Guider. Together, we’ll form the first fully-integrated learning, skills, comms, knowledge and mentoring platform – and we can’t wait to see the value this will bring to our customers.
This acquisition has served to emphasise the importance of human connection when it comes to mentoring and coaching – and we thought now was the ideal time to delve deeper into this topic.
In an increasingly AI world, why is human capability more important than ever before? Let’s discuss.
In many ways, AI is doing what every major technological shift has done before: automating repetitive tasks and increasing productivity. The key difference now is speed. Tools like generative AI are evolving faster than any previous wave of technology, and we’re sure we don’t have to detail the many implications this shift has had on every single sector.
Routine roles are being reshaped. Reports, marketing copy, code, and even lesson plans can now be produced by machines. But crucially, what these systems lack is context — the nuance and unpredictability to which humans are so finely attuned. Everything from organisational culture, to ethical implications, to stakeholder needs is held in the database of our imperfect brains. And that’s something AI can’t replicate, try as it might.
This is where people remain critical. AI can surface insights, but it takes human intelligence to decide what exactly to do with them. It can support decisions, but not lead change. It can generate options, but not pick the right one in a messy, complex environment. As AI takes on more (hopefully tedious) tasks, our roles shift towards those that require real human empathy.
If AI is accelerating transformation, it’s also widening the (already slightly cavernous) skills gap.
A McKinsey report found that “demand for technological, social and emotional, and higher cognitive skills will rise by 2030.” The organisations that succeed will be those that can rapidly build these “uniquely human” capabilities at scale.
Yet many companies are not ready. Too often, training focuses on immediate needs — compliance, software updates, product knowledge — without developing the deeper skills that enable people to adapt. In an AI-powered economy, that’s no longer sustainable.
L&D teams have a crucial role to play. More than ever, they are the enablers of organisational agility. They must shift their focus from narrow skills training to capability building — helping employees develop the judgement, learning agility and resilience to thrive in constant change.
Traditional learning approaches often emphasise content delivery. (Think courses, videos, and assessments.) But AI can now generate that content at scale. What it cannot do is guide people through the experience of applying, reflecting on, and growing from it.
That’s where capability development comes in. Rather than asking “what should people know?”, capability-led learning asks “what should people be able to do in the real world, and how can we help them get there?”
This shift requires L&D teams to move beyond content curation and into experience design. It means creating learning that is embedded by that messy, real-world context we mentioned earlier – and supported by coaching. (Hello again, Guider.)
AI can support this in powerful ways (such as surfacing relevant resources, personalising learning paths, and tracking progress) but the vision and strategy must come from real people.
As AI reshapes the world of work, L&D leaders have a strategic mandate: to help their organisations become more adaptive, more human, and increasingly, more resilient.
That means thinking long-term. It means partnering closely with business leaders to understand how work is changing, and where exactly new capabilities are needed. It means using data not just to report on learning, but to inform long-term strategy. And ultimately, it means championing human development.
In this context, L&D becomes an engine for growth. But this requires a shift in mindset — from delivery to enablement, from training to transformation.
The paradox of AI is that the more powerful it becomes, the more we need human strengths. Things like emotional intelligence, ethical judgement, and collaborative problem-solving are not easily replicated by machines, and as a result they’re becoming more valuable by the day.
It’s not just about adapting to AI. It’s about complementing it; creating partnerships between human and machine where each plays to its strengths. In the end, AI won’t replace people — but people who know how to use AI effectively will replace those who don’t. And organisations that invest in human capability now will be the ones that lead tomorrow.
Interested in being one of them? Find out more about Thrive’s new coaching & mentoring capabilities powered by Guider, and book a demo today.
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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