Let's Talk As AI continues to evolve, many wonder whether it will replace people. At Taipan, we believe technology should support us, and not replace the authentic human connections our customers rely on.
Is AI going to replace people, take our jobs, or just change the way we work?
Well, let’s see: AI can’t crimp a hose or fix heavy machinery (phew!). But AI can answer phones now! And they sound so real – my mate is a sole trader and he answers the same 3 questions hundreds of times a month. With an AI receptionist, he has more time to grow his business, but customers can always tell if they’re talking to an AI Bot. Another example – do you ever spend time reading a Blog and wonder “did they just plug in Best AI Blog about Hydraulics”? Well … you won’t find either of those examples here. The crew here at Taipan answering your calls are real people, and it’s our Management team that write the blogs each month. Sure, we can search for inspiration via AI, or use it to help with research. However, we know our customers can tell when a computer is talking. But more than that, it goes against our mission and core values. And our customers want authenticity, and they place value in honest relationships.
Also, I don’t think we need to worry about a Skynet takeover just yet. It seems the more AI is progressing, the more people are demanding a face-to-face connection. But the next stage of technological evolution is definitely here to stay. You can’t stop progress, but you can direct the change it makes on us.
Some of you will remember what everyone said when computers first arrived in every home, school and workspace. And it was met with worry that they’ll replace workers. What actually happened was they became tools we use every single day that make us work at a faster pace with more accuracy. A lot more readers will remember when mobile phones became smart phones, and we started carrying a computer with us everywhere we went. This initially was met by another wave of distrust, but ended up giving us flexibility and easy access to information (not to mention time wasting games galore, and social media addiction we can’t shake). AI is the next step in that same story … it can’t replace us, but it’s here to make our lives easier.
So what are 5 ways you can use AI:
- Brainstorming ideas for blogs or posts, then add your own touch.
- Summarise a large document or transfer it into an audio file for easy digestion.
- Quote faster by using AI to pull info from your pricing list and past jobs.
- Crunch sales data to quickly find out which customers need a call.
- Have a conversation with AI while you’re driving. Use it to work through a problem, or just to entertain you.
We’ll always be nostalgic about the time before technology took hold. Remembering them as simpler times, when things moved a lot slower. But progress keeps coming, and we’re in no position to stop it, or even press pause. Change will always feel risky, but history shows us it’s about working smarter, not harder.