AI and Job Displacement – You Still Can't Beat Good People

One of the biggest ethical concerns surrounding AI is its potential to replace human labor, leading to widespread job losses and an unsustainable rise in unemployment. This is a real and valid concern, and I want to address it from both the employee and employer perspectives.

Let me be clear upfront: I don’t think using AI to displace jobs is good for employees (obviously) OR employers. That might sound surprising, but let’s break it down, starting with employers.

Why Replacing Employees with AI Is Bad Business

I’ll be blunt—if you can completely replace your employees with AI, you’re either bad at hiring, have a bad structure, or both. AI is a powerful tool, but at its core, it’s just that—a tool. It may simulate human reasoning, but it lacks true empathy, judgment, and creativity. Your employees were (hopefully) hired because they bring valuable skills and qualities to your organization. Beyond that, they’ve chosen to work for you not just for a paycheck, but because your organization’s values align with their own.

Businesses can use advanced technology in one of two ways: to do more with what they have, or to do the same with less. If you truly believe in your business and your team, you should be using AI to empower them, not replace them. Use AI to automate repetitive, low-value tasks so your employees can focus on the high-impact work that drives your mission forward.

One of the best examples I can give—after nearly 20 years of working in automation—is this: If I automate a process that eliminates 10 hours of work for a team, and that team only becomes 5 hours more productive, that’s still a massive win. Why? Because the other 5 hours go toward reducing workplace stress, preventing burnout, and improving job satisfaction.

If you're not concerned with reducing stress and burnout, you should remember that every company in the world can use AI, and the larger ones can devote a lot of resources to it. If you're trying to be a viable small business, the only advantage we've found yet that a larger company can't at least approximate is your people.

No employer ever wrote a check to burnout or turnover, but make no mistake—these are two of the biggest expenses your business is paying every year. Retaining engaged, experienced employees is far more valuable than chasing short-term gains from automation.

How Employees Can Adapt to AI

For workers, the concern is obvious—nobody wants to be replaced by AI. But instead of focusing on the risks, let’s talk about what you can do to stay ahead and make AI work for you rather than against you.

1. Embrace AI

AI isn’t going away. No matter your personal opinions on its impact, learning to use AI effectively can make you far more productive—often while reducing your own workload. When your employer starts looking for ways to integrate AI, position yourself as someone who can make AI a tool for success rather than a replacement for people.

Even if you’re one of the many with understandable ethical or societal concerns about AI, sticking your head in the sand and pretending it doesn’t exist is not a solution. We all have a relationship with AI, whether we want to or not. Embracing AI and working with it can help you to define a part of that relationship. If you’re not comfortable with the step of embracing AI, then it’s important to at least understand AI and how it’s used in your industry and company.

2. Lean Into the Human Elements of Your Job

AI may be powerful, but customers and clients still overwhelmingly prefer human interaction. If your job involves compassion, creative problem-solving, innovation, or direct relationship-building, AI can’t match what you bring to the table. The more you develop and highlight these uniquely human skills, the more irreplaceable you become.

3. Communicate and Network

You’ve heard the saying, "It’s not what you know, it’s who you know." Well, AI doesn’t know anyone. Build relationships, strengthen your network, and showcase your personal brand. AI may be able to generate reports or analyze data, but it can’t build trust, inspire confidence, or collaborate like a human can.

Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach

AI should be here to work for you, whether you own a business or work for one. The businesses that thrive in the AI era will be the ones that use technology to enhance human potential rather than replace it. And the employees who succeed will be the ones who understand how to leverage AI to improve their own productivity and effectiveness.

At the end of the day, businesses are built by people, for people. AI can help, but it can’t replace the creativity, empathy, and connections that truly drive success.