In an AI World, Human Skills Still Matter

STEM and the humanities may seem like an unlikely pair, but people with both sets of skills will be prepared to navigate a job market being reshaped by AI. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills, with technology literacy close behind. But creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility are also expected to continue to rise in importance from 2025 to 2030. 

We asked two Bentley professors — Distinguished Lecturer in Computer Information Systems Mark Frydenberg and Assistant Professor of English and Media Studies Elizabeth LeDoux — to weigh in on the renewed relevance of the humanities, the impact of AI and how business leaders with both technical and human-centered skills can spearhead ethical AI use. 

Frydenberg and LeDoux are among a group of Bentley faculty members from different disciplines who are coming together to ensure students have both sets of skills. In spring 2027, they will put the university’s recently launched team-teaching model to the test with the course AI for Creators: Data, Narrative and New Media. 

For more than a decade, students have gravitated toward STEM fields, thinking that’s the safest route to a steady career and a good income. Do you think AI is poised to change this trend, as some leaders in AI have suggested? Does the talk of a “humanities comeback” go a bit too far? 

Mark Frydenberg: AI is changing the types of entry-level jobs that are available. One lesson that the AI era is showing us is that the days of “if you know how to code, you’re guaranteed a high-paying job” are over. That’s not to say STEM isn’t important. STEM isn’t going away, and the humanities aren’t taking over. But successful students will live in both worlds so they can bridge the gap between what technology can do and what humans need technology to do.   

AI can write (most) code, for example, but software developers still need to know how to frame a problem, evaluate logic and validate results. Humanities courses can help develop those kinds of critical thinking skills.  

Liz LeDoux: Early on, I think the prevailing assumption about AI was that it could easily generate writings of all sorts, so why would a major in English or the humanities more broadly matter any longer? What matters is that AI-generated content draws on work created by humans. Considering the cost of college, it is understandable that students would want to seek majors that provide a promising career and a good income. But the reality is that AI can easily disrupt all disciplines.  

What our students need now is the “soft skills” the humanities offer in abundance that include critical thinking, evaluation, judgment, reflection, communication, collaboration and ethical storytelling that will help shape any majors’ future — including those in STEM, in the age of AI.  

Mark, what would you want a future software developer to learn in an English classroom? 

Code doesn’t speak for itself. The process of developing applications is changing because of AI assistance. Developers need to be able to write and communicate effectively so that they can explain technical details to non-technical stakeholders, write reports and pitch their ideas clearly. Not only do they need to know how an application works technically; they also need to know how to make it intuitive for end users. Designing software that accounts for users’ varying abilities, perspectives and skills, as well as cultural and language differences, is important for creating a positive user experience.  

Liz, what would you want an English major to learn in a computer science classroom? 

Students studying English and the digital humanities should be exposed to the wide range of digital tools that helps them create and communicate content to audiences. For example, students who study video gaming should learn to code. They can write great stories and characters but need to also understand usability and the dynamics of cultural game play that needs to be designed with code along with it. Both disciplines share learning outcomes, including textual analyses, creativity, logic and reasoning, problem-solving, diversity issues and ethics. 

Bentley-Gallup research shows that most Americans don’t trust businesses to use AI responsibly. How can combining STEM and humanities education help create business leaders who use AI ethically and responsibly? 

Frydenberg: The Bentley-Gallup poll showed skepticism around whether businesses use AI responsibly. The research showed that business efforts to promote transparency in how AI is used, disclose the sources of data to power AI, and ensure data privacy would help reduce most Americans’ concerns.  

While STEM focuses on how AI “works,” how to build statistical models and how to deploy solutions, a humanities perspective adds people into the mix. It forces business leaders to explain why AI works this way, how to interpret statistical results to see if they are biased, and what the consequences of building an AI-powered solution are. By asking these questions, leaders who are skilled in both STEM and humanities can build the transparency and accountability needed to regain public trust. 

LeDoux: I agree with Mark that bridging the humanities with STEM in the age of AI concerns the necessity of a human perspective. This includes a desire to expand human ingenuity, innovation and creativity, while tackling issues concerning privacy and bias. For trust to occur, businesses need to be transparent about how AI is used and for what purpose. It’s why a team-taught course like ours establishes both perspectives. It will help prepare students to successfully work in any industry that utilizes AI because it helps them better understand Americans’ desire for trust and the ethical concerns they share about AI.