"I don't need an Assistant: I'll just use Copilot!"
Ciara Ferrier • 3 October 2025
Why relying on AI tools only is insufficient.
There have been many exciting advances in AI in recent years. We hear stories all the time that AI can or will almost entirely replace administrative workers or “entry-level,” jobs. Whilst businesses may feel inspired that AI is a huge opportunity to save on overheads yet simultaneously boost and streamline productivity, this isn’t the reality.
AI is another tool for you to master – do you have time to keep up with changes in functionality? Can you be aware of all the up-to-date risks and limitations surrounding it? Are you overly optimistic about what it can and cannot do? Misunderstanding the capabilities of AI, yet not investing in administrative or entry-level support, can prove costly when you end up spending far too much time working far too below your own pay grade.
AI tools and automated systems, used with sensitivity, can be valuable in making your processes run smoothly. They can also be of real disservice to your business when they cause frustration. The old adage that people will do business with people remains true. If people are paying for a service, they like to know they can access that service. Situations that could result in a complaint can sometimes be avoided entirely by a reply from a human being. Maintaining the personal touch could be what makes you stand out from the crowd.
AI is a tool for humanity, not
a replacement.
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