Equipping early career talent and ourselves to flourish in the AI age is essential, explains Alice Hooper-Scott, Director, The School of Life at Work.
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future trend — it’s a present reality. From automating routine tasks to unlocking creative potential, AI is transforming how we work, learn, and lead.
For early-career talent, this shift presents both opportunity and uncertainty — and for those of us who support them, it’s a moment that demands clarity, capability, and care.
At The School of Life, we believe that the key to thriving in an AI-driven world isn’t technical mastery alone. It’s about how we engage — and especially how we equip early talent to develop the confidence, mindset, and human and emotional skills that will ensure they not only keep pace with AI, but thrive alongside it.
Why early career support matters now
The data is clear:
With over 432,000 UK organisations adopting AI at scale, it’s evident that early-career professionals are stepping into workplaces where AI is already embedded. But comfort with tools doesn’t always equate to confidence in using them wisely.
For learning and development professionals, line managers, coaches, and talent partners, the task is two-fold:
- Support early-career individuals in developing a mindful, responsible, and empowered relationship with AI.
- Develop our own capabilities and comfort in navigating these same tools and questions.
Cultivating the right mindset for an AI-enabled world
The most successful professionals in this evolving landscape will be those who approach AI not with fear or passivity, but with an active, adaptive mindset. At The School of Life, we identify three pillars of this mindset:
- Curiosity – A willingness to explore, ask questions, and stay open to experimentation.
- Emotional intelligence – The ability to understand and manage emotions (our own and others) in a way that supports meaningful collaboration and ethical use of AI.
- Playfulness – Not frivolity, but the confidence to test, iterate, and explore new ways of working without fear of getting it wrong.
These qualities are especially crucial for early career professionals, who may be simultaneously learning to navigate professional expectations, build confidence, and figure out where their voice fits — all while new technologies change the rules.
Playful principles to share and model
Whether you’re delivering a training session, mentoring a new hire, or experimenting with AI in your own practice, these guiding principles apply:
Do:
- Encourage thoughtful conversation, collaboration and exploration with AI
- Use AI to enhance personal strengths
- Engage curiously and playfully
Don’t:
- Treat AI as a black box that delivers perfect answers
- Assume ‘digital native’ means ‘digitally confident’
- Allow tools to replace critical thinking or real collaboration
- Assume there is a perfect way to engage
AI literacy isn’t just about functionality. It’s about learning how to engage with technology without losing your own voice, values, or judgment.
Emotional intelligence: A distinctly human advantage
Where AI excels in logic and scale, it still falls short in perception and emotional nuance. Emotional intelligence remains a uniquely human skill — and for early career professionals, one of the most crucial to cultivate.
This includes:
- Self-awareness – Knowing your own strengths, triggers, and learning needs
- Empathy – Seeing the world from others’ perspectives, even in virtual and hybrid contexts
- Emotional regulation – Managing stress, uncertainty, and new feedback loops
- Communication – Building trust and clarity in a world of digital noise
By modelling and mentoring these skills ourselves, we set a powerful tone for how AI can complement — not replace — authentic, emotionally attuned human work.
Equipping the future of work
As AI becomes more deeply embedded into how we work, those entering the workforce need more than just digital tools. They need role models, guides, and systems that help them navigate complexity without losing confidence or agency. And those of us supporting them need spaces to learn, reflect, and grow as well.
The shift toward AI-integrated work environments will continue to accelerate. But this isn’t just a technical shift — it’s a cultural one. How we engage with AI will be a key differentiator.
At The School of Life, we believe that this moment is not about becoming more like machines — it’s about becoming more deeply human. Success in this new era will be determined not just by what we know, but by how we think, relate, and adapt.
To support this, we offer tools, workshops, and resources designed to help early career talent, and the professionals and organisations supporting them, to build the mindset and skillset needed for a flourishing future.
From personalised learning journeys to emotional intelligence coaching, our aim is to equip people with the capabilities that matter most in a changing world.
Leading with human skills in a technological age
The AI revolution is not about being faster or louder. It’s about being wiser, more self-aware, and more connected.
As Geoff Colvin put it, “The most valuable skills in the AI age won’t be technical – they’ll be human.”
For early career practitioners, this is a moment of great potential. By embracing curiosity, emotional intelligence, and a growth-oriented mindset — and helping others do the same — we can ensure the future of work is not only efficient, but meaningful.