There’s a lot of noise around becoming AI-literate, but let’s pause and reflect—what will truly differentiate us in the age of smart machines?
It’s not just how well you use AI.
It’s how deeply human you remain while using it.
I have attempted to define AI Literacy, what it means to be human, and why I believe you need both skills, based on research conducted by some of the best institutions.
A. AI Literacy for End Users Is Not About Becoming a Techie, but About:
- Bringing deep domain expertise
- Framing prompts like you’re speaking to a McKinsey++ consultant
- Choosing the right tools for your goals
- And most importantly, treating AI as a dost, engaging with it curiously and respectfully
B. Even as AI Accelerates, Here’s What the World Is Rediscovering (Basis Research That Says Soft Skills Are the Real Superpower):
- World Economic Forum: Top future skills = empathy, flexibility, curiosity, resilience
- Harvard Business Review: Curiosity is a career superpower
- McKinsey & Company: Emotional intelligence boosts team engagement by 20%
- Deloitte: 92% of leaders believe soft skills will define success in an AI-led future
AI can write code, create content, automate workflows—but it can’t build trust, hold space for empathy, lead with values, or ask “why” with genuine curiosity.
That’s why soft skills aren’t “soft” anymore, they’re core skills.
My strong belief:
AI-literate + Values-driven = Killer Combination
C. Dil Se Dost: The Human OS in the AI Age
My book, Dil Se Dost, is my small contribution to this big shift for the founder, seeker, mentor, and dreamer—the one who wants to lead not just with outcomes, but with heart.
Dil Se Dost is a collection of 100+ real-life stories from 66 years of my journey, personal, professional, and spiritual and includes 30 personal and professional philosophies that helped me become who I am by imbibing values and technologies.
It’s about:
• Living with gratitude and dosti
• Leading with values
• Staying curious and resilient
• Self-belief and self-respect
• Faith and Maa Durga’s blessings
It’s not a self-help book. It’s a self-discovery journal, to nurture the human in you, even as AI grows around us.
So I ask you, what are you doing to stay human in the age of machines?
If this resonates, share your thoughts in the comments.
Let’s share, and let’s touch a million lives Dil Se.
June 20252