Will Artificial Intelligence be the end for Virtual Assistants?

A few months ago I took a trip to Canada and on two separate occasions after disclosing in conversation that I managed a Virtual Assistants (VAs) agency, I was asked the question- “how will your Virtual Assistants be able to compete with AI?” Till this day, whether it be on social media or at workshops about AI, people still question whether AI will completely replace VAs.

My projection is that while AI technology has made remarkable advancements, it is unlikely that AI will completely eradicate the need for human virtual assistants in the foreseeable future. About 50% of Tegemea’s clients (who I’d classify as tech savvy) use AI in their daily life, and have still continued to hire one of our VAs. It is important to recognise that AI has the power to significantly enhance the work of Virtual Assistants rather than entirely replace them.

In this blog I will highlight the advantages that a human VA still has over AI and then look at which activities can be outsourced to AI in order to provide insight into how the two can be utilised together.

1. Human Connection and Empathy:

One of the primary advantages of VAs, or people in general, is their ability to establish genuine emotional connections with others. VAs can offer a personalised touch, intuition, and emotional intelligence that AI will struggle to replicate. Clients will always value the human element and find comfort in interacting with another person, especially in situations that require sensitivity and understanding.

2. Complex Problem Solving and Judgement: 

VAs can apply judgement and experiential knowledge when problem-solving tasks. They can think critically, analyse situations, and apply subjective reasoning, which is essential in certain scenarios. AI-powered virtual assistants (non-human) excel at processing large amounts of data and providing insights, but they may lack the nuanced judgement and creative thinking that humans bring to the table.

3. Adaptability and Versatility: 

VAs possess the ability to adapt and handle a wide range of tasks, even those that fall outside their designated roles. They can quickly learn new skills, adapt to changing circumstances, and think on their feet. AI-powered virtual assistants, on the other hand, are limited to the tasks and functions for which they have been specifically programmed. They may struggle to handle novel or unanticipated situations that require adaptability and flexibility.

4. Trust and Confidentiality:

Trust is a crucial factor in the relationship between VAs and clients. Whilst human VAs can establish and build trust through their professionalism by upholding confidentiality and adhering to ethical guidelines, AI-powered virtual assistants may cause concerns for users around data security and the potential for misuse of personal information. 

Taking all of the above into consideration it is evident that AI cannot totally replace VAs. Both serve to enhance the productivity and efficiency of your business, projects or tasks and by leveraging the strengths of each, together they can become a formidable amalgamation. AI can help humans with mundane, tedious tasks or analyse large datasets, while humans can provide the creativity, empathy, and nuanced understanding that AI currently lacks. 

Here are a few ways in which work can be outsourced to AI:

1. Data entry and processing: AI can automate data entry tasks such as extracting information from documents, invoices, or forms, and populating databases or spreadsheets. This saves time and reduces the chances of manual errors.

2. Social media management: AI tools can analyse social media trends, schedule posts, and even suggest content ideas based on user preferences and engagement patterns. They can also monitor brand mentions and sentiment analysis to help manage online reputation.

3. Inventory management: AI can optimise inventory levels by analysing sales patterns, demand forecasting, and suggesting reorder points. This helps prevent stockouts and overstocking, leading to better cash flow and customer satisfaction.

4. Accounting and bookkeeping: AI can automate tasks like invoice processing, expense categorisation, and generating financial reports. It can integrate with accounting software, ensuring accurate and timely financial management.

So as you can see many tasks can be automated by AI but despite the vast technical abilities of AI it currently cannot do complex tasks which require critical thinking or decision-making. Human oversight and intervention will still be required for more complex or sensitive matters, as highlighted in the points listed earlier. If the input isn’t specific AI can “glitch” or make mistakes in the information it provides. This is because AI does not sort the information it offers, so things you do not need or that are only loosely related to the chosen topic may be included, giving you incorrect or poor answers which lack robustness.

When it comes to AI and automation, humans are still the consumers and so humans, also known as the market, will decide how heavily integrated AI will be in our personal lives and society at large. With this in mind we will have to turn to collaborative intelligence in order to bring together the unique strengths of both humans and AI to create more powerful solutions. According to a Forbes article written by Anitha Moosath “AI, automation and emerging technologies will make the best employees (like the already outstanding VAs at Tegemea) 2-10 times more productive. New job roles will emerge while existing jobs will be transformed as automation takes over boring tasks.” Therefore AI will never replace VAs, but it does have the potential to make them far more effective, efficient, and productive than ever before.