From Soft Skills to Power Skills: How AI Is Helping Build the Human Capabilities That Matter Most

Joanna Smith
Nov 4
3 min read

For decades, HR and learning and development professionals have referred to "soft skills" as the critical yet hard-to-measure set of interpersonal abilities that support leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. But the term "soft" has never quite done justice to their importance.

As Dr Bhavana Arora outlines in her 2025 article From Soft Skills to Power Skills: A New Paradigm for Career Advancement in a Changing World, the events of recent years have fundamentally altered how organisations view these skills. As she puts it:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed a paradigm shift, elevating the importance of soft skills in navigating complex and dynamic work environments… competencies such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and communication have gained unprecedented importance.”

In short, soft skills are no longer “nice to have.” They’ve become core to how people lead, collaborate, and adapt in fast-changing, often hybrid workplaces. And increasingly, they’re being referred to not as soft skills, but Power Skills. A term that reflects their strategic value for both individuals and organisations.

Why Power Skills Matter More Than Ever

Dr Arora distinguishes Power Skills into three broad domains:

Intrapersonal (e.g. Self-awareness, Resilience, Time Management, Openness to Feedback)
Interpersonal (e.g. Communication, Active Listening, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence)
Cognitive (e.g. Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Problem-Solving, Decision-Making)

All of these skills are increasingly important in a world where digital tools and AI systems are doing more of the technical and routine work, and humans are relied on for what can’t be automated: complex judgment, relationship-building, ethical leadership, and the ability to work across functions, cultures, and perspectives.

Josh Bersin made a similar argument in 2019, calling for an end to the term "soft skills" altogether, suggesting instead that they are the power skills that drive performance. This thinking is now widely accepted in L&D circles but it's still catching up in many workplace training programmes.

The Role of AI in Developing Human Skills

There’s a certain irony in the idea that new technologies, including AI, are now helping people develop these very human capabilities. But that's exactly where we see some of the most exciting possibilities emerging in learning design.

At Pukeko Learning Solutions, we’ve been working with one forward-thinking client who has embraced this opportunity. Together, we’re developing a practical, scenario-based eLearning programme that builds interpersonal Power Skills using a combination of traditional learning design and embedded AI tools.

Learners in this programme:

Explore key interpersonal concepts and principles
Practice real-world conversations with an embedded AI role play partner
Receive tailored feedback based on how they approached the interaction
Have the chance to retry, improve, and build confidence over time

What’s remarkable is that the AI role play partner doesn’t just simulate a single scenario. It can represent different personality types or emotional states, giving learners exposure to a much wider range of interactions than traditional role play might allow.

Practice Makes Progress, Even at a Distance

Live role play is still a powerful method for developing interpersonal skills. But in many organisations, particularly those with dispersed workforces, coordinating real-time practice between staff isn’t always practical.

AI-enabled learning offers an accessible, repeatable alternative; a safe, fatigue-free practice partner that supports skill development even when live coaching or peer interaction isn’t available. It also lowers the barrier for those who may feel nervous practising sensitive conversations in front of others, helping them build confidence before engaging in live interactions.

Importantly, our client is using both methods in tandem: encouraging live peer role play where possible, while using the AI-based module as a flexible, scalable way to build foundational competence and confidence.

Where We See This Heading

This project is our first client engagement using AI in this way and we're genuinely excited by how it’s coming together.

As learning designers, we're always looking for tools that help people grow. And while AI is often discussed in terms of automation and efficiency, this project is a reminder that technology can also help us become better humans; more aware, more empathetic, and more capable of navigating the challenges of modern work.

We see a future where more organisations embrace AI as a co-facilitator in learning - not to replace human interaction, but to support it, scale it, and make it more accessible.

Curious to see how it works?

If you're thinking about how to upskill your workforce in Power Skills, we’d be happy to talk through how we might support you. Get in touch for a chat!