For years, innovation has centered on speed. Faster processing. Faster decisions. Faster communication. But as artificial intelligence reshapes the modern workplace, a quieter truth is emerging from neuroscience and behavioral psychology: as technology accelerates, people are slowing down emotionally.

Across industries, employees report rising cognitive fatigue, decreased trust, and a growing sense of isolation despite being more digitally connected than ever before. The World Health Organization now recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon, and research firms are consistently finding that employees feel overwhelmed by the volume of digital tasks and communication rather than liberated by it.

What’s becoming clear is that automation may increase efficiency, but it cannot replace the psychological conditions that allow humans to feel safe, understood, and ready to collaborate. In fact, research shows that human well-being rises most predictably when people experience meaningful interpersonal connection, not just more technological convenience.

To explore this shift, I interviewed Sean Callagy—an entrepreneur, founder of Unblinded and ACTi, and a leading authority on modern business, leadership, and integrous human influence—to better understand why human connection is becoming the most valuable skill in an AI-driven world.

Research informed by Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory—an influential framework in social neuroscience—proposes that people constantly scan their environment for cues of safety. Tone of voice, facial expression, pacing, empathy, and other micro-signals help regulate the autonomic

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