AI isn't even close to replacing my personal assistant. Here's why.

i dont think ai will replace assistants any time soon its more like ai makes a good assistant 10x stronger kinda like giving them iron man armor for boring admin stuff

Really resonates with me — no matter how far AI comes, there’s just a level of human judgment and proactive thinking that makes assistants irreplaceable. It reminds me a bit of solving riddles with kids: AI can spit out answers quickly, but part of the fun (and learning) comes from the human side — asking the right questions, making connections, and adding creativity that algorithms can’t fully replicate.

Great post! Curious, since email can be key to accessing financial resources (bank account, investment platforms..etc) do you have measures in place to protect yourself from getting hacked / robbed? $1000 isn't enough of a deterrent to keep someone away from a business bank account / investments.

Absolutely love this breakdown of what a great assistant can do. I'm also a heavy AI user—probably more than most, but there’s something about human initiative that AI just can’t replicate (yet).

Running a human version of Upwork with South African talent has left me torn between pushing further into AI or doubling down on what I already know works. The AI version of what I do is sitting in my head, half-built, but simultaneously, I know the human element still wins in ways automation can’t.

Curious—have you found any tasks where AI has actually outperformed your assistant, or where the two work together in a way that surprised you?

What a great post, man.

After 14 years with a team, running my marketing agency, I've been doing everything on my own again. It's been so interesting, back to writing, editing, filming, booking talks and workshops.

I am using a few tools, from BeeHiiv to ChatGPT and some scheduling tools, crazy to see how much money we end up spending.
Slowly I'm scaling back the team for very specific things, and now I'm in the process of hiring the VA from the Philippines with similar needs.

I think this post will be very helpful for anyone feeling a bit overwhelmed with work and not knowing how to delegate.

Thank you for this insightful post—your honest take on how AI still falls short of replacing a human personal assistant really resonates. It’s refreshing to see someone value the nuance, empathy, and connection that only a person can bring.

The reminder that “hype cycles move faster than product cycles” is something we’ve felt firsthand. In voice AI, it’s easy to get caught chasing every shiny new model, but the real wins come from solving the gritty, unglamorous problems that customers actually feel, latency, reliability, and trust.

Your emphasis on long-term foundations over short-term polish is spot on. Feels like the builders who stay disciplined on that front will be the ones still around when the noise fades.

AI is literally helping me build a million dollar brand and I cant say I believe a live human could work like this on my behalf.

I think we might be underestimating how fast this gap is closing. Tools like GPT-4 and custom workflows can already handling a lot of scheduling, summarizing, and drafting.

Thank you for writing this post. I am an Executive Assistant myself and I always get the question: Aren't you scared of losing your job because of AI?

Reading your reasons about why a human assistant is valuable, I feel more secure about the value I bring to my executives.

But just to be aware, what tasks related to this job is AI helping you with at the moment?

A well-observed and shared story of being kept up with EA or PA for daily operational assistance tasks being taken care of by the latter, as per my personal observation i do have 3 EAs under me doing the same thing for other ventures, keeping pace with operational leaders for regular updates in a summarized way for all of the chaos if i am going to handle it myself, to them i have given 4 days work week rotational shifts for better productivity and lesser leaves with strict policy emergency.

Totally agree. AI helps a lot, but there’s always a bit of human touch in everything we do—because some things just need that personal vibe.

how to apply for a VA, i am currently looking for a role EITHER VA/ project manager! Please reach out over email if anyone has any opportunities. over email - inayahk712@

Totally get it, AI tools are handy, but they still miss that human touch and flexibility a real assistant brings. Not surprised they’re not quite there yet.

A.I is great too but I'm impressed by your personal assistant dexterity. I didn't see only your personal assistant qualities here ; I see values .

Thank you for crafting this .

Great post! I agree that AI will continue to improve, but I don't see its growth following a straight, linear path. Instead, I believe it will follow on — accelerating rapidly, then eventually leveling off as it becomes fully integrated into our daily lives and work routines.

Great post. I also think AI is only bound to get better, but I don't think it will take the same linear progression, I think it will be an S-curve growth like most things in life. It will plateau at some point when we've worked it into our daily or work tasks as much as possible.

I love using my AI partners, but there are times, when human is the best or even only option, so I appreciate the breakdown and the reminder that AI and humans as partners is the best option.

Some valid points here!

Great post

AI is powerful but lacks the human touch. A personal assistant offers emotional intelligence, nuanced decision-making, and adaptability. For a startup founder, these qualities are invaluable for managing complex tasks and providing personalized support that AI alone cannot replicate.

"Great post! You have explained this topic in a very clear and engaging way. Thank you for sharing such informative and interesting content. I look forward to reading more articles like this. Could you share more details on this topic?"

AI will not replace human anytime soon. A lot of people are talking about how it will but when you really think how adaptable humans are and what we can do, machines can just help them become better.

Absolutely agree on the fact that human factor can't be replicated by AI.

This is a great breakdown of how human assistants still outperform AI in key areas. While AI is excellent for automation, a skilled assistant brings proactive thinking, nuanced decision-making, and adaptability—things AI still struggles with.

Your point about inbox management resonated with me. AI can categorize and summarize emails, but a human assistant understands context and relationships, making prioritization much smoother. The same applies to tasks like sales support and forum moderation—AI can assist, but a human touch ensures quality control.

For those balancing automation with human assistance, a hybrid approach seems ideal. I use AI for repetitive tasks, but when it comes to optimizing workflows or handling nuanced customer interactions, having a human assistant remains invaluable.
I also use AI to automate my. First i did not get too much response from them. Now, i am used to it and handle my business as startup. and in the future planning to expand it.

Would love to hear your thoughts—do you see AI evolving to handle some of these high-level tasks more efficiently in the near future?

I completely agree with you Channing. So much so that late last year I was starting up (but never got off the ground) a VA agency that specialized in experienced assistants that are also well-versed and trained in AI.

Looks like that was a good idea after all 🤦‍♂️

Also there's another argument to made In favor of, regarding talent and the future of the workforce. People in 3rd world countries are going to have fewer and fewer means of earning an income. I think AI up-skilling like this can help alleviate some of that.

AI has made significant strides in recent years, but it is still far from replacing a personal assistant. One of the key reasons for this is emotional intelligence; while AI can process data, it lacks the ability to understand or respond to emotions in the nuanced way a human can. A personal assistant can gauge your mood, adapt their tone, and offer empathy, something AI struggles to replicate. Additionally, AI doesn't have the same level of contextual understanding as a human; it often struggles with complex or ambiguous situations that require a deeper grasp of the broader context.

Another important difference is creativity—AI is excellent at processing and analyzing existing information, but it doesn't possess the true creativity and innovative problem-solving abilities that a human assistant can offer. Personal assistants also learn from experience, building relationships and adapting to your needs over time, whereas AI's ability to evolve is limited.

real way

I’m the founder of https://getinboxzero.com. Curious if you or your assistant has tried it? Where does it fall short for an ai replacing a human for reaching inbox zero?

you r amazing

I disagree as I recently lauched an AI OS to replace assistants, sign up for the waitlist here if interested.

I totally agree with Channing! AI is great, but a human assistant brings intuition, adaptability, and proactive problem-solving that AI just can’t match. Inbox management alone is a lifesaver! This article perfectly captures why both AI and human support are valuable.

Completely agree! AI is great for efficiency, but when it comes to context, judgment, and handling dynamic situations, human assistants are irreplaceable. Even in UX/UI, AI tools help, but they can’t replace real problem-solving and empathy-driven design.