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Modern Mentor

5 things AI can't replace, and why that’s your advantage

Modern Mentor

Macmillan Holdings, LLC

Careers, Business, Management

4.3726 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

897. AI is changing work fast — but some capabilities remain deeply human. This week, Rachel Cooke breaks down five things AI still can't do well, from reading a room to knowing your stakeholders, and explains how to turn those into your professional edge. If you've been anxious about AI replacing your job, this episode reframes what to actually focus on.


Modern Mentor is a Quick and Dirty Tips Podcast, hosted by Rachel Cooke!

Have a question for Modern Mentor? Email: modernmentor@quickanddirtytips.com 

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Transcript

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0:00.0

AI is showing up everywhere right now, in every meeting, every deck, every job description.

0:24.7

But most of us are still figuring out how to actually think about it.

0:28.8

Today, five things AI can't do yet that you absolutely can and should.

0:34.8

Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor.

0:37.4

I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise,

0:39.3

where we help leaders work better by design. You can reach out to me to speak at your next event

0:44.3

and subscribe to my brand new Work Better by Design email series at leadabovnoise.com. You can find

0:50.4

links in the show notes. So I have a close friend and colleague who does data stuff.

0:56.0

I don't know.

0:56.5

It's over my head.

0:58.0

But a few weeks ago, we were chatting about this industry conference that she was preparing

1:02.6

and excited to attend.

1:04.9

She had attended the same conference maybe five or six years ago.

1:08.3

She had enjoyed it and was really looking forward to seeing what new

1:11.4

insights and content they'd be presenting this time around. When we caught up postconference,

1:16.2

she was pretty bummed. It turns out that this year's agenda, it just felt like the five year ago

1:21.9

agenda, basically all the same topics, but with the phrase with AI, shoved somewhere into the title of every

1:28.6

presentation. It was annoying. And also, kind of a microcosm of like everything right now.

1:35.6

I mean, it feels like with AI is loki being shoved into absolutely every conversation these

1:41.6

days. And here's my take. AI is genuinely extraordinary.

1:46.4

It has access to limitless knowledge and content and research. It can build things with

1:51.6

remarkable speed and efficiency. The anxiety people are feeling about it is real and understandable.

...

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