Human Skills Remain the Key to Unlocking AI’s Business Potential, PMI Executive Says

Artificial intelligence is transforming how companies operate, communicate and make decisions. However, technology alone may not be enough to produce meaningful business results.

According to Dr. Moira Gilchrist, chief global communications officer at Philip Morris International, organisations must develop human capabilities alongside their investment in AI. 

As businesses accelerate their use of artificial intelligence, the discussion is shifting from what AI can generate to how effectively people can use, evaluate and improve its output. Gilchrist identifies three human capabilities—creativity, judgment and connection—as essential to turning AI adoption into sustainable progress.

Creativity Gives AI a Clearer Purpose

Artificial intelligence is highly effective at analysing patterns, summarising information and generating predictable responses. But businesses seeking new ideas still depend on people to challenge familiar approaches and imagine different possibilities.

Gilchrist argues that simply adding AI to an existing process may improve speed without necessarily creating significant new value. Employees must reconsider how work is performed and identify opportunities that were not previously possible.

One example highlighted in the Business Insider article involves PMI’s communications team using AI-powered virtual personas. These simulated stakeholders help the team evaluate corporate materials before publication. While AI enables the simulation, employees determine how the technology is applied and how its feedback should influence the final content.

The example demonstrates that innovation does not come from the tool alone. It emerges when people use the technology creatively to redesign a workflow or solve a problem differently.

Human Judgment Remains Essential

AI systems can produce polished and convincing answers, even when the underlying information is inaccurate. This makes human verification especially important in areas such as corporate communication, research and strategic decision-making.

At PMI, Gilchrist says AI-generated material is treated as a starting point rather than a final decision. Employees remain responsible for checking facts, assessing risks and approving anything published by the company or used by its senior leadership.

This level of oversight is becoming more important as AI tools spread across organisations. Employees, including those at an early stage in their careers, may be required to make decisions that previously belonged to more experienced managers.

Businesses must therefore invest not only in technical AI training but also in critical thinking, ethical reasoning and decision-making skills. Employees need to understand when AI output is reliable, when it requires further investigation and when it should be rejected entirely.

PMI has previously outlined a people-first approach to AI adoption that includes employee training, responsible-use standards and company-wide governance. The company says thousands of employees have participated in its AI learning initiatives, while its corporate policy covers areas including accountability, data privacy, cybersecurity, fairness and regulatory compliance.

Human Connection Could Become More Valuable

As generative AI makes it easier to produce large volumes of marketing and corporate content, audiences may find it increasingly difficult to distinguish one brand from another.

Gilchrist believes genuine human connection could become a more significant competitive advantage in this environment. Organisations may be able to automate content production, but building trust, loyalty and emotional relevance requires a deeper understanding of people.

This does not mean companies must avoid AI-generated communication entirely. Instead, they must ensure technology supports a recognisable human perspective and does not weaken the relationship between the organisation and its audience.

In-person conversations, community experiences and authentic interactions may also gain greater importance as synthetic content becomes more common online. Brands that combine technological efficiency with credible human engagement could be better positioned to maintain public trust.

The Future Is Human–AI Collaboration

The broader message from PMI’s approach is that businesses should not view AI adoption as a simple replacement strategy. The strongest results are more likely to come from collaboration between human expertise and machine capabilities.

AI can accelerate research, automate repetitive processes and help employees explore information at scale. People, however, remain responsible for defining the objective, questioning the output and understanding its consequences.

For organisations, this means investment in AI infrastructure must be accompanied by investment in workforce development. Creativity, accountability, critical thinking and empathy are becoming strategic business capabilities rather than optional soft skills.

AI may change the speed and structure of work, but people will continue to determine whether that change produces lasting value.