Over the past few years, it has become impossible for everyday technology users to avoid the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Companies now use AI in their marketing, some restaurants in the United States have used AI to take orders, Google now has an AI Overview feature that summarizes your inquiry using AI, some websites use customer service chatbots, and the list goes on. Some people have gotten themselves into a frenzy over whether AI will eventually replace humans and thus the need for humans in certain jobs will become obsolete. Today, let’s talk about the reliance of AI for our businesses and why humans may be the best ones for the job.Real estate is a perfect example. AI can summarize a neighborhood or scan listings in seconds. But buyers and sellers still need humans to interpret what matters, price correctly, negotiate, and make decisions that hold up under pressure.&nbsp;AI is useful for speed, not judgment. It can help spot comparable listings, summarize market stats, and organize information. But it still struggles with the things that move outcomes. Micro-market nuances, for example, two condos on the same street can price differently based on layout, exposure, fees, reserve fund strength, and the building’s reputation.&nbsp;Negotiation and risk, such as&nbsp;conditions, closing flexibility, status certificate issues, and deal psychology are human territory. Human connection and trust, since people do not just buy a property, they buy confidence in the decision.Goldman Sachs reported that AI could harm the equivalent of 300 million jobs and that a quarter of all jobs could be replaced by AI. There are some jobs it would be hard to imagine can be replaced by AI, such as a nurse, surgeon, firefighter, tradesman, police officer, and other tactical jobs. Other jobs, such as creative, communicative, programming, data analysis, and even teaching are some of the sectors susceptible to AI takeover. According to Microsoft’s list of the top 40 most vulnerable jobs, the top 10 most threatened jobs are translators and interpreters, historians, passenger attendants, sales representatives, writers and authors, customer service representatives, CNC tool programmers, telephone operators, ticket agents and travel clerks, and broadcast announcers and radio DJs. Also on the list are teachers, geographers, models, and political scientists.&nbsp;An important consideration before businesses implement AI-based models is the power of consumer boycotts. Among some members of Gen-Z, AI use by anyone, but especially businesses, is a huge taboo for a number of reasons. Some internet-users’ reasoning for hating AI includes the potential loss of jobs, creativity theft, the damage to the environment, the damage it does to the human brain, and the damage it does to human connectedness. When a business uses AI in their advertisements on social media, the comments are usually filled with people denouncing their AI use. When Coca Cola used an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in 2024, consumers made their discontent very clear. NBC News stated users called the advertisement “soulless” and “devoid of any actual creativity.” While the younger generations are fragmented in their positions on AI, with many not caring about the ethical implications, there is still a large portion of Gen-Z who are resisting an AI-takeover.&nbsp;There are some positives to AI use that companies can implement in their practice. Many disabled people, such as blind people, are able to understand what happens in a video or movie thanks to AI explaining it to them. Many consumers acknowledge the balance that can be struck between using AI to promote social good and using AI for the worse.&nbsp;I think we can all agree that human connection is a central component to many businesses. Many consumers do not enjoy being forced to talk to a robot or solve their own problems when an issue occurs with your business. Human contact and connections are essential for many aspects of problem solving, understanding context, and understanding nuance. You will likely not be able to talk an AI chatbot into giving you a free replacement of your purchase the same way a human would understand to do that.Recently, a performer in China used a line of Unitree robots to serve as his backup dancers. The AI programmed robots were an amazing display of technology in action, even doing flips. The use of technology was so impressive that it even got a shout-out from Elon Musk. This past weekend, K-Pop supergroup BlackPink performed three straight sold out shows at Hong Kong’s new and massive Kai Tak Sports Park. The tickets were sold out in a little more than 1 ½ hours.&nbsp;It seems that no matter how impressed we can be by AI and technology, there is still a very big case to be made for real people to be engaged in sales, performance art, and anything else that requires human nuanced perception, nuanced communication and a human touch. We use AI where it adds clarity and efficiency, but we rely on human expertise for the part that matters most: context, judgment, and outcomes.

The Case for Humans in the Age of AI

Why humans still matter in the age of AI. A practical look at trust, nuance, and decision making in business and real estate today.

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