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AI to Replace 🦾 or Augment 💪 Humans?

AI
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Written by
Andrew Levy

I’m focused on 𝚊̲𝚞̲𝚐̲𝚖̲𝚎̲𝚗̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚗̲𝚐̲ human-to-human conversations with AI intelligence. Sometimes I’m asked about replacing humans altogether (the answer for Aircover.ai is no, our goal is to make every role in an organization “10x”), here are some thoughts:

Support & Chatbots: Catalysts of Change

We are hearing a lot of conversation now about support & chatbots, humans being replaced, etc. Klarna said they have replaced humans in 2.3M support conversations which represents the work of 700 full-time agents. There is certainly investment being made in this space that will lead to the elimination of roles and change the roles of others.

Looking Beyond Chatbots: Unleashing Collective Wisdom

I think it’s interesting to take a step back and see how companies and positions will change with AI. Put chatbots aside for a second – imagine if every individual had the collective wisdom of the entire organization, their entire domain they operate in, at their fingertips. 🤯

  • Evolution of Hiring Practices: How does hiring change? Does their own background and domain expertise matter less vs their ability to execute, process information on the fly, and build relationships?
  • Organizational Restructuring: Do companies suddenly become organized differently? For example, does this remove the need for matrix style sales organizations?
  • Optimizing Resource Allocation: How does the balance of headcount change? For example, if sales reps can operate effectively in more (but not all) conversations without a technical resource, do those resources then free up to focus on the most qualified opportunities? Or do they shift focus to post-sales and delivery, driving higher retention and expansion?
  • Managerial Dynamics: Does this result in flatter organizations related to manager coaching and decision making? For a long time there has been a desire for managers and leaders to coach their own teams effectively vs jumping from one problem to another. You could argue this behavior leads to smaller teams. AI gives managers the ability to scale (coaching at scale, AI insights/decision making, etc) this may lead to flatter organizations / larger teams.
  • Collaborative Innovation: How does collaboration change with AI-enabled automation?
  • Employee Engagement: Last but not least: In a future where AI augments human capabilities, how do companies ensure that employees remain engaged and motivated in their work? What role can AI play in enhancing employee satisfaction and well-being?

Overall, we need more discussion on what happens when we augment human capabilities rather than replacing them entirely. While automation may eliminate some roles, it will greatly transform others. ✨

ps - we’re hiring! Build the future with us.