Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been a buzzword in many industries for a while now, and the virtual assistant (VA) industry is no exception.
While some argue that AI will enhance the capabilities of virtual assistants, others fear that it will replace them altogether. In this blog post, we'll explore why AI is the biggest threat to the VA industry.
First, it's important to acknowledge the capabilities of AI. AI can schedule appointments, manage to-do lists, and even do payroll, all without human intervention. This means that businesses can save time and money by automating these tasks, which is a tempting prospect for many.
However, the downside of AI is that it can make human workers obsolete. As AI becomes more advanced, it will be able to handle more and more tasks that were previously the domain of virtual assistants. This means that many businesses may choose to replace their VAs with AI, in the name of efficiency and cost savings.
It's also worth noting that AI doesn't require a salary, benefits, or time off, unlike human workers. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to cut costs.
Of course, not all businesses will adopt AI right away. Some may be hesitant to embrace this new technology, while others may not have the resources to do so. However, as AI becomes more common and affordable, it's likely that more businesses will choose to automate their tasks with AI, leaving VAs without work.
So, what can virtual assistants do to stay relevant in an age of AI?
One option is to specialise in tasks that AI can't handle, such as travel arrangements, project management, gift purchasing, analysing complex documents, reconciling bank accounts, following up on overdue debtors, app implementation and set up, photography and videography, brand design, and website audits. Another option is to become experts in AI themselves, and help businesses implement and manage AI systems.
Ultimately, the biggest threat to the VA industry is not AI itself, but the lack of preparedness among VAs.
As AI continues to advance, it's important for VAs to adapt and evolve their skills, in order to remain valuable to businesses. By embracing new technologies and developing their expertise, virtual assistants can stay ahead of the curve and ensure their continued success in an increasingly automated world.
Now...
What if we told you that the blog post above was written entirely by OpenAI's language model ChatGPT, given the prompt “Can you write me a new blog post titled ‘The biggest threat to the VA industry’ with the threat being AI like yourself.”?
AI is progressing in leaps and bounds and as ChatGPT pointed out, the biggest threat to the VA industry, and many industries, is not embracing AI in their business operations where they can. Utilising artificial intelligence allows business owners to work smarter, not harder, which in turn frees up time and resources that can be directed towards other tasks that require human input.
Ultimately, it's that human input that's important to remember when considering how AI might impact your industry. AI can perform tasks with speed and accuracy, but it lacks the human touch that your clients have come to know and expect. AI written text can sound robotic, the facts that it provides can be incorrect or biased and it can't understand the nuances of human communication or emotions (yet).
The final word comes from ChatGPT itself:
“In conclusion, while AI may be a threat to the VA industry in some ways, there are still many reasons why human VAs will continue to be valuable in the years to come. By embracing AI and utilising it alongside human expertise, VAs can continue to provide high-quality support to clients in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Ultimately, the combination of AI and human intelligence will be the key to success in the VA industry.”
