3 ways AI can unlock human potential to build relationships

When we read about AI and its impact we often view it through a lens of eliminating the human aspect of work . However, properly harnessing AI can make human-to-human relationships more effective in the workplace, allowing organizations to be better positioned to make the most of their strategic collaborations. Even in a tech-heavy world, those human relationships ultimately make the biggest difference.



I had a chance to sit down with Chris Winfield, founder of Super Connector Media, who has built a reputation for teaching organizations how to properly harness AI , as well as Dan Chuparkoff , an AI innovator who has worked with Google, McKinsey , Atlassian, and more. As their insights reveal, AI can play a significant role in improving our human relationships.



Create more time for connection



“Perhaps the biggest benefit of AI is that it gives us more time to actually connect and communicate with our partners and collaborators,” Winfield explains. “When we can turn over the mundane, routine tasks to AI, we create more time for ourselves to focus on higher-level tasks, such as collaborating with strategic partners. That time is incredibly valuable. It’s during those personal sessions that many of the best ideas and collaborations are born.”



According to a report from ZDNET, 93% of service professionals at organizations that have invested in AI say that using AI helps them save time at work. Deloitte estimates that within five to seven years, AI could free up 30% of the government workforce’s time. That’s a lot of extra hours that can be used for building more meaningful connections.



Many companies also have employees spread across several time zones. In addition, with more people prioritizing their work-life balance, the need for flexible work schedules has also become a priority.



Recent surveys reveal that 65% of workers want to work remotely full-time, and over 70% of women want flexible work hours. This can lead to communication barriers and other challenges that disrupt work—but AI is uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges.



“AI tools can greatly streamline work for teams that collaborate across time zones,” Winfield says. “They don’t just power work collaboration platforms. GenAI can help people troubleshoot tech problems when their coworker isn’t available, or help set up equitable systems for managing and prioritizing workloads. By using AI appropriately, we can create a better work-life balance that respects everyone’s time.”



Prevent misunderstandings and ensure alignment



The sharing of information—and the struggle to do so effectively—is one of the most common pitfalls of successful collaborations. From digging through swaths of data to presenting it clearly, trying to get the right information to the right people at the right time can become a major challenge.



“AI can simplify organizing and sharing information so that you can collaborate more effectively with others,” Chuparkoff says. “AI tools can help you navigate through information to quickly find what you need for your strategic partnership, and help you present it in a manner that makes it easy for everyone to evaluate and understand. AI can even offer analysis and predictive insights based on the trends and data it sees, helping improve your team’s decision-making capabilities.”



By helping deliver relevant insights, teams can use AI to fill knowledge gaps and maintain needed data transparency for achieving higher-quality work together.



Engage with greater empathy



While AI may not seem immediately empathetic, it can help individuals display greater empathy in their interactions. As a report from Genesys reveals, customer experience leaders who used AI found that their agents not only became more productive but also better able to communicate with customers with empathy.



This occurred because the AI tools worked alongside customer support agents to help them better understand the intent of the person they were speaking with, take notes, and then provide relevant information and recommended actions. This helped agents focus on engaging with the customer and anticipating their needs in a more empathetic manner.



“Our workplace interactions often lack empathy simply because we have so many other tasks on our plate,” Chuparkoff says. “And of course, most of us could stand to improve our empathetic skills in the first place. AI aids both of these areas by giving us more time to focus on other people, while also helping us identify ways we can do better.”



This can be most useful as more businesses start to implement AI applications that are specifically focused on enhancing the “social” aspects of the workplace.



For example, a report from Deloitte highlights applications in which AI simulations are used to amplify emotional intelligence and networking skills or to better understand customers. Other potential applications include helping organizations build more diverse project teams while also helping to make work environments more inclusive.



“These social applications may not always seem to have an immediate bottom line result, so they aren’t always prioritized by businesses,” Winfield says.




“But in reality, these are the areas where AI can have the biggest long-term impact.



By using AI tools to improve personal capabilities or offering trainings on ways to improve how we interact with others, it can create a healthier work culture that supports strong relationships. A supportive, ‘human’ workplace is what will create the best results for everyone.”




As these examples reveal, AI doesn’t have to upend our potential for strong human-to-human relationships in business partnerships and collaborations. When used properly, these tools can actually enhance our existing capabilities and enable us to achieve even more than we did in the past. By focusing on how AI can strengthen human relationships, business leaders can unlock new opportunities and achieve greater results.