Why AI tools are changing roles rather than replacing humans

The core thesis from meeting intelligence and notetaker company Read AI and consumer support tooling startup Lucidya is that artificial intelligence will replace specific tasks rather than entire roles. David Shim, the CEO of Read AI—which provides notetakers, or AI tools that record and summarize meetings—argues that humans will remain in the middle of AI-driven processes. Speaking at Web Summit Qatar earlier this month, Shim compared the current state of AI to GPS navigation: while modern drivers rely on digital maps to tell them where to go, the human in the middle still decides what happens. Shim stated that he thinks there will always be a human in the middle of these processes. Similarly, Abdullah Asiri, the founder of Lucidya, asserts that AI will replace tasks but not roles, allowing employees to shift to supervisory or relationship-building responsibilities.

Startups are leveraging these tools to maintain lean operations. For instance, Read AI manages millions of users with a customer service team of just five employees. The productivity gains are tangible: Read AI reports that its sales tool, which helps predict the state of a deal using data from CRM systems like HubSpot and Salesforce, has seen $200 million in deals approved through its system. Additionally, the company notes that it could capture 23% more context with each update to evaluate lead calls. To achieve similar efficiency, Lucidya is focusing on hiring “AI native” talent—defined as employees with strong skills in using AI tools. Asiri noted that while the goal for any company is to hire people who are AI native and very strong with AI, companies must remain realistic because this skill is still being developed. He emphasized that Lucidya wants to scale outcomes without scaling headcounts.

Customer perception of AI is also shifting from early skepticism to acceptance, provided the technology effectively resolves issues. While users were once hesitant to have AI bots on calls, they are now more receptive as long as they have control over the tools. Asiri emphasized that for the end user, fast and accurate resolution is the priority. As Asiri noted, “The customer really doesn’t care whether it’s fixed by AI or a human, as long as it’s fixed fast and accurately.”

Why it matters

The shift toward “AI-native” hiring and lean operations suggests that the immediate value of AI lies in productivity gains and task automation rather than wholesale workforce replacement. For businesses, the focus is on scaling operational capacity without a corresponding increase in headcount.