In a world obsessed with automation, AI tools, and efficiency, a quiet truth is emerging: the more digital our work becomes, the more human connection starts to feel like the real job security. The BBC Global video “Is Human Connection The New Job Security?” explores this shift, asking whether “high touch” skills—empathy, listening, care, trust—might matter more than ever in the future of work.
What the BBC Video Is Really Saying
In the BBC conversation, Katty Kay speaks with business leader Jane Wurwand about what she calls a “high touch” approach in an AI-first world.
Key ideas from the video:
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AI and chatbots can handle high volume, low-touch tasks—data, routine queries, simple transactions.
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The roles that will thrive are those built around person-to-person connection: care work, teaching, coaching, leadership, therapy, customer relationships, and community building.
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“Soft skills” like empathy, communication, emotional intelligence, and presence are becoming “hard skills”—central to value, not optional extras.
Instead of competing with machines on speed or memory, humans will win by doing what machines still can’t: seeing, feeling, and truly understanding other humans.
Why Human Connection Is Rising in Value
Several trends are pushing connection to the center of the new job market:
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Automation and AI are eating routine work.
As more repetitive and predictable tasks get automated, what’s left are the jobs that require judgment, nuance, and relationship—areas where human skills shine. People are tired of robotic experiences.
Whether it’s customer support, healthcare, or education, we’ve all felt the frustration of being trapped in endless menus or scripted responses. Companies are realizing that human touch can be a premium experience that builds loyalty and trust.-
Hybrid and remote work create connection gaps.
Digital work can be efficient but isolating. Leaders and teammates who can build psychological safety, belonging, and genuine relationships across screens are becoming invaluable.
In short, technology is not removing the need for humans; it’s changing where human strengths matter most.
What This Means for Your Career
If human connection is the new job security, then your most important “future of work” investments are not only in tools, but in who you are with other people.
Here are connection-based skills that modern employers and clients value:
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Empathy and active listening – making people feel seen and heard.
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Clear, respectful communication – in writing, on video, and in person.
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Emotional regulation – staying calm, kind, and grounded under pressure.
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Collaboration and conflict resolution – working with different personalities and perspectives.
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Trust-building – doing what you say, being honest, owning mistakes.
These skills matter in social care, customer service, healthcare, leadership, coaching, education, sales, and even technical roles that still require teamwork and stakeholder management.
How to Build “Connection Capital” in a Tech-Heavy World
Think of human connection as career capital you can deliberately grow:
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Be fully present in conversations.
Close extra tabs, put your phone down, and give people undivided attention. Presence is rare—and memorable. Learn to ask better questions.
Instead of only giving answers, ask: “What matters most to you here?” “How are you really feeling about this?” This deepens trust and understanding.-
Practice empathy in everyday work.
Before sending an email or making a decision, pause and ask: “How will this land for the other person?” Adjust the tone or timing accordingly. -
Become the “human first contact,” not just a task doer.
Whenever possible, be the person who welcomes, reassures, explains, and connects—especially when others are overwhelmed by tech. -
Blend tech with humanity.
Use AI to automate routine tasks, then spend the saved time on human interactions: mentoring a junior colleague, checking in with a client, or supporting someone struggling on the team.
The goal is not to reject technology, but to use it to free up more space for what only humans can do.
Human Connection and Job Security: A New Definition
Traditional job security meant one employer, one role, for decades. That model is fading. In the new world of work, security looks more like this:[youtube][artofsm]
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A strong network of people who trust working with you.
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A reputation for being reliable, kind, and collaborative.
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Skills that are transferable across jobs and industries because they are deeply human.
No company can guarantee your future. But your ability to connect, care, communicate, and collaborate will travel with you wherever you go.
If AI is the new infrastructure, human connection is the new advantage.
For modern audiences, this message is both practical and hopeful: even as AI reshapes industries, the most future-proof thing you can build is not just your tech stack—but your capacity to connect with other humans.
Credible Resources
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WorkLife – Why the future of work is not tech: it’s human identity (on uniquely human skills):
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LinkedIn commentary on “soft skills as hard skills” and human touch:
Related Readings and Videos:
#human connection and job security, #future of work and AI, #soft skills are hard skills, #high touch careers, #AI and human jobs, #emotional intelligence at work, #relationship skills for career growth, #BBC human connection video, #people skills in the age of AI, #human-centric work.
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