Our media loves to create clickbait around the fear of AI taking jobs. While that may be the case for some jobs, like software developers in Silicon Valley, white-collar middle manager corporate types, and manual and repetitive data entry jobs, we at SubAssist see the opportunity for AI or other automation tools to help workers streamline manual tasks that are very time-consuming.
Brian LaMee, an outspoken leader in the business and office technology world for over 25 years, recently gave his perspective on how AI is going to affect office jobs. We reached out, and he was kind enough to take our questions that tried to challenge his viewpoint about AI taking jobs because of how trades businesses have traditionally lagged behind in business automation software.
SubAssist: Brian, we've been hearing a lot about AI and its potential impact on jobs, especially in the tech sector. Do you think AI is coming for trades office jobs next?
Brian: Honestly, I don't think so. While big corporations are excited about the possibility of reducing their workforce with AI, the reality is that society as a whole is not ready for AI to make important decisions. This technology isn't all that new. It's just evolved. We've always had computers that handle certain tasks faster than humans—like calculating numbers and formulas in a spreadsheet, for example. We've used technology for years to do tasks that are either difficult for us or that we simply don't want to do.
SubAssist: Can you give us some examples of how AI is currently being used in decision-making and why humans are still essential in that process?
Brian: Sure! Take AI's use in detecting cancer from images. It compares an image against thousands of other confirmed cancer images to identify patterns. That's great for speeding up the process. But ultimately, we still want a human, with empathy and creative problem-solving skills, to make the final decision on what to do next. For example, the decision could vary dramatically depending on whether the patient is a 90-year-old or a 4-year-old child.
Another example is commercial airplanes, which can technically land themselves. But passengers still want a human pilot in the cockpit, especially in a crisis. The plane has lots of technology that makes their job of flying the plane easier and safer, but it has not replaced the commercial pilot.
SubAssist: That's a compelling point about the importance of human decision-making. But what about trades businesses? Will AI have any significant impact there?
Brian: In my humble opinion, not much when it comes to doing the work at the site. Today AI can't put on a roof. But technology has helped roofers. I used to help my dad put roofs on in the summer. We did it with a chalk line, hammer, and nails. But when I recently helped a friend put a new roof on. We used air nailers. That technology saved us a TON of time and made the work easier. Technology can be good as long as it makes our lives better or gives us time to do things we want to do. That is what I want AI for. However, when it comes to actually getting work done in the field, we’ll see more innovation from robotics.
SubAssist: So, if AI isn't taking over trades work at job sites, what is its impact in office settings within these businesses?
Brian: AI has definitely changed how we handle office work. For instance, I used to type out receipts for expense reports and mail them to the home office, which took hours. Now, I can just take a picture, and AI reads it and inputs it into my expense report. What used to take an hour now takes five minutes, freeing me up to do more meaningful work. While AI will change what we do in the future, it won't necessarily replace us. It can alert us to certain patterns, but it can't understand the nuances, relationships, or history behind decisions. I’m no expert in how trades businesses run, but my sense is that there is an abundance of opportunity to automate manual tasks and data entry work currently being done.
SubAssist: So, is it possible that AI will elevate job roles in a trades business office rather than replace them?
Brian: Exactly. Jobs may change, but that could be a good thing. Rather than doing mindless tasks, we can focus on creative problem-solving or strategic decision-making. It will require people to upskill, which ultimately makes them more valuable to their current employers and more marketable in the job market. When spreadsheets were first introduced, people were worried about job losses, but it just meant we needed to learn new tools. AI is similar in that way—it presents a learning opportunity for people to operate at a more valuable level within a business through decision making and taking action from the automated insights that technology can surface. This is way better for the business and employees than relying on humans to do manual processes and tasks.
SubAssist: In summary, AI is here to stay, but it's not here to replace us. It's about evolving and finding new ways to add value.
Brian: Absolutely. AI will handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks, but it won't replace the empathy, creativity, and complex decision-making skills that humans bring to the table. It will likely change job roles, pushing us to focus on more meaningful tasks and upskill, which ultimately benefits both individuals and businesses.
SubAssist: So in summary, in trades offices, AI could be better seen as "automated insights" that allow employees to focus on higher-value tasks rather than repetitive manual work.
Many trades businesses have fallen behind by not adopting technology that is now standard in other sectors. So, AI should be used to help us with our work, not replace it.