The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence across organizational, educational, and societal domains has fundamentally reshaped how decisions are made, work is organized, and responsibilities are distributed. While AI systems offer unprecedented gains in speed, scale, and analytical capability, their real-world effectiveness is inseparable from the quality of human engagement that surrounds their design, interpretation, and use. This paper contends that preparedness for an AI-driven future cannot be reduced to technological readiness alone, but must be grounded in a human-centric understanding of collaboration between human intelligence and artificial systems. Using a qualitative and analytical research methodology based on a systematic review of interdisciplinary literature, the study integrates perspectives from information technology, social sciences, ethics, and workforce studies to examine how preparedness for human–AI collaboration is currently conceptualized. The analysis reveals that prevailing approaches disproportionately emphasize technical infrastructure and automation capacity, while insufficiently addressing the human competencies required to guide, question, and govern intelligent systems. In response, the paper proposes a Human-Centric Collaborative Readiness Framework structured around four interrelated dimensions: cognitive capability, emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and decision authority. These dimensions collectively capture the human capacities necessary to ensure that AI systems are used responsibly, transparently, and in alignment with societal values. By repositioning human intelligence as a central pillar of AI preparedness, the framework offers a structured lens for assessing individual and organizational readiness in AI-enabled environments. The study contributes to ongoing interdisciplinary discourse by advancing a conceptual model that emphasizes collaboration over replacement, responsibility over automation, and sustainability over short-term efficiency. The proposed framework is intended to support educators, organizations, and policymakers in designing strategies that ensure artificial intelligence strengthens human agency and institutional resilience in the evolving digital future