Brain chemistry v AI: The skills worth fighting for

Everywhere we turn, AI is the conversation in the room, virtual or otherwise. This is especially true in the land of PR and communications, where it can free people up to focus on more strategy and big-picture thinking.

But this can come at a hefty price. If we lean too much on AI to do the heavy lifting by outsourcing most of the problem-solving or content generation, we risk significantly reducing our mental agility. Remember some of the scenes from the Pixar animation Wall-E? I’ll leave that image with you.

If we underuse our brains, the very circuits that underpin original thinking and emotional agility, then we stand to lose the unique human skills that fuel our neural pathways and give us the strong edge on creative thinking and emotional intelligence. 

According to recent research in neuroscience from institutions like UCL and Bristol university, our brains grow and adapt through struggle. When we tackle creative blocks, wrestle with ambiguity and negotiate complex emotions we effectively get a ‘cognitive workout’. 

This ‘brain gym’ triggers beneficial neurochemicals like dopamine which supports executive functions like attention, working memory and problem-solving, as well as being central to our motivation and reward system. 

A dysregulation of dopamine, be it excess or deficit, can lead to increased mental health conditions and some movement-based illnesses. 

Another beneficial neurochemical that activates is noradrenaline, which sends signals between nerve cells to regulate our attention and alertness, as well as regulating our metabolism during such times of focus. 

Both neurochemicals ultimately strengthen the neural pathways tied to motivation, learning and resilience in many forms.

High functioning humans in the world of AI

So how can we ensure that we remain highly functioning humans in the world of AI? 

Neuroscience research reinforces that our skills flourish when we engage deeply with complexity and discomfort. When we are tussling with challenging ideas and confronting difficult questions, the neural circuits essential for human adaptability are activated. And that’s why the acts of creative and critical thinking are so important, alongside emotional intelligence and creative practise.

Creative thinking transforms repetitive messages into stories and establishes patterns that resonate on a much deeper human level, creating spark and excitement. 

Critical thinking helps us evaluate our options thoroughly, identify hidden pitfalls, question our assumptions and sharpen the strategic direction we ultimately decide on, giving us significant autonomy and connection to what we are actively doing.

Professional success depends on cultural awareness, social nuance and emotional insight. These are all areas where AI remains fundamentally limited. 

Building relationships and trust hangs on emotional intelligence, which develops through human connection and interaction. 

Emotional intelligence also sits at the heart of effective communication and solid leadership. Genuine empathy, reading non-verbal cues and holding space for difficult conversations shape stronger outcomes for everyone and everything.

While AI can simulate empathy or offer supportive prompts, it cannot feel or attune the way that humans do. Emotional growth and neuroplasticity require real relational experiences to flourish.

AI’s role in PR

Most certainly we can use AI as a sparring partner. We can let it generate drafts or initiate data to get us going. But ultimately it remains the human role to review, question and enrich our working world using our unique experiences and perspectives.

It’s crucial to create room and hold space for mental struggle by resisting the urge to jump immediately to AI. Discomfort is our friend. Sit with problems, brainstorm multiple angles and allow your brain to process complexity. Engage impulse control and make emotional intelligence a priority by building time into workflows for human feedback sessions and honest reflections.

The Institute for the Future of Work highlights that professionals who actively invest in developing human capabilities like creative problem-solving, emotional intelligence and strategic thinking are significantly more resilient in AI-integrated workplaces. This is about deepening the human cognitive and emotional capacities, ensuring the continuous learning essential for career survival.

Thriving alongside AI requires us to view learning and development as a continuous commitment for our irreplaceable human edge. Machines are great at crunching data and throwing out a high volume of content, but they cannot craft significant meaning, build trust or spark those joyous moments of breakthrough. That’s still the work of humans and it needs to be protected and developed at all costs.

AI is reshaping our world but the qualities that define us such as creativity, empathy and critical thinking, remain irreplaceable. We must lean into these strengths, using technology as a tool to enhance and not replace, the treasured mental effort and human connections that drive true innovation and success. This is essential if humans are to continue to flourish alongside AI.

Dannie-Lu Carr is a senior training consultant, executive leadership coach, singer-songwriter, writer and performer.

What does creative PR really look like?

Join Dannie-Lu at the CIPR’s Creative Thinking in PR course to explore practical techniques that unlock fresh ideas and give your brain a creativity workout: 9 October in London or 25 November online.

Further reading

Everything PRs need to know about AI Overviews
Is AI stopping young PR professionals from building essential skills?
Rethinking reputation management in the age of AI