With all the improvements that have been made in artificial intelligence, there’s no doubt that using it in business is a great way to increase efficiency and save money and time. Incorporating artificial intelligence into the everyday running of a business can leave many leaders wondering where to draw the line, however. Where should they leave room for a human touch?
Below, the members of Young Entrepreneur Council share their insights on the key areas of business where human involvement is still necessary and why AI may need to take a back seat.
8 Business Processes That Need a Human Touch
- Content writing.
- Human resources.
- Finance.
- Customer support.
- Social media engagement.
- Data interpretation.
- Customer retention and loyalty.
- Feedback gathering.
1. Content Writing
A trend has emerged in which business owners are turning to content writing AI to help them churn out more blog posts and website content. While I think there’s a place for this type of content, I also believe that keeping human writers is going to be a strategic advantage when all of the content on the web starts to look and sound the same because AI is writing all of it. People will notice. — Nathalie Lussier, AccessAlly
2. Human Resources
Human resources always requires a human touch, and not just because of the name. Whether hiring new people or resolving disputes over payroll and teamwork, AI lacks the ability to truly listen. People need to know others are listening to them. Empathy is key for human resources. — Duran Inci, Optimum7
3. Finance
A business should never use AI in some areas because the technology is too new, unproven or risky. For example, AI shouldn’t make important financial decisions until the technology is tested and proven reliable. If you’re in a role or business where you’re making decisions that impact other people’s finances, it’s best to have a human touch. — Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
4. Customer Support
Customer support can use AI to a certain extent, but it eventually requires a human touch. Although the machine can learn standardized replies, exceptional cases occur in customer support every minute. The last thing an inconvenienced and possibly agitated consumer wants is to talk to a bot. While AI can help preliminarily, all escalations in customer support should ideally have a human touch. — Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
5. Social Media Engagement
Many business leaders use AI to track social media conversations online. This is a helpful tool for leaders who don’t have time to sit on social media all day or who don’t have a dedicated social media manager. Despite the advantages of tracking these conversations, you still need a human team member to engage with your customers in these situations. — John Turner, SeedProd LLC
6. Data Interpretation
AI is unquestionably far faster and more efficient at gathering relevant user feedback online than a person. A team of humans should take that raw data and make informed decisions about your customers’ goals, pain points and needs. A human team must interpret the data because they can pick up on cues that may escape most AI software. — John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC
7. Customer Retention and Loyalty
Customer retention is different from customer service because it focuses on engagement and making sure that the customer gets what they need to avoid moving on to another brand. Nothing beats the connection you have with a person and having loyalty not just to a brand, but also to the person who takes care of you. — Daisy Jing, Banish
8. Feedback Gathering
As smart as artificial intelligence is getting, it is still artificial. Only real human empathy is capable of handling a difficult complaint or communicating a sincere message. This tendency is especially relevant to feedback gathering. Genuine conversation is highly valuable, especially if you want to show a customer that you care. — Nick Venditti, StitchGolf
