Should You Hire a Human or an AI Agent?

The decision to bring on a human or deploy an AI agent for your next “hire” is becoming more critical as AI capabilities rapidly expand, yet many leaders are still making hiring decisions based on outdated assumptions about what requires human intelligence.

In my opinion, the future of work isn’t human or machine; it’s both. Most jobs-to-be-done in a business will be shared between humans and AI, each contributing what they do best. The key is knowing what to pull out today—tasks that can be automated or accelerated—and what should be retained and led by human judgment, empathy, and creativity. When that balance is right, the result isn’t just division of labor—it’s amplification. 1 + 1 = 3

These questions will help you check your biases and make the best decision for your desired outcomes and your bottom line.

Great Questions

Here are five questions that can help you determine whether to hire a person or an AI agent:

1. What percentage of this role involves rote, repetitive tasks? If more than 70% of the work is routine—data entry, basic analysis or customer service, content formatting—an AI solution is likely better (faster, cheaper, and produces fewer errors) than a human.

2. Have you tested the role’s tasks with AI? Before committing to a hire, spend time using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to simulate the job-to-be-done. A quick test could reveal whether AI can deliver the same or comparable results.

3. How much creative thinking or creative problem solving is needed? AI agents excel at executing defined processes but struggle with nuanced decision-making and creative problem-solving. If you need someone to "figure it out" rather than "get it done," lean human, and vice versa.

4 & 5. Does the role require speed, scale, repetition, consistency, memory, calculation, patterning, availability, translation and/or summarization? OR, Does the role require judgment, empathy, intuition, creativity, curiosity, trust, adaptation, humor, negotiation and/or inspiration? AI agents are a good fit for the former; humans are a good fit for the latter.

Great Finds

I recently did the Function Health screening—a comprehensive blood draw that tests 100+ biomarkers. Instead of trying to interpret the results myself, I uploaded the full report to ChatGPT and asked it to design a personalized supplement program based on my specific deficiencies and health goals. 

AI provided detailed explanations for each recommendation and even suggested timing for optimal absorption. It's a fascinating example of how AI can synthesize complex health data in ways that would take a human specialist much longer to analyze.

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Onward!

Mike