Should Businesses Replace Routine Work With AI Whenever They Can?

As a small business owner, the question isn't really 'should I', it's 'can I afford not to.' My competitors are automating. If I don't, I'm at a cost disadvantage. But I also know my customers value the human element of what I do. The honest answer is I automate the back-office stuff (invoicing, scheduling, social media) and keep humans on anything customer-facing. That's not a principled stance, it's just what works for my business. Has anyone found that customers actually notice or care whethe...

In retail, 'routine work' is often customer-facing. Checking out a customer is routine. But that 30-second interaction is often the only human connection an elderly customer might have all day (https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/self-checkout-kiosks-grocery-stores-walmart/675626/). When we replaced cashiers with self-checkout and AI kiosks, our efficiency went up, but our customer loyalty plummeted. We forgot that 'routine work' is often disguised community building. Have you...