Why does an HR professional spend so much time on spreadsheets instead of people? Why are strategists inundated with reports they can barely read, let alone interpret? In many organizations, employees are structurally burdened with repetitive and labor-intensive tasks. That is precisely where the opportunity of artificial intelligence (AI) lies: not as a substitute for labor, but as an amplifier of human capability.
Yet in many companies, AI is still seen as hype, or as a technology that will mostly make jobs obsolete. That vision is too limited. The real potential of AI lies not in productivity gains, but in a fundamental work shift: from production to co-creation.
AI as co-worker, not competitor
AI excels at recognizing patterns, analyzing data and automating routine tasks. Consider processing customer inquiries, creating reports or performing risk analysis. But instead of threatening jobs, AI actually creates space for other work: more creative, more human, more strategic.
When AI takes over repetitive tasks, it creates mental space for employees to focus on what humans are uniquely good at: complex decision-making, empathetic interaction, and developing innovative solutions.
Concrete applications today
The shift from production to co-creation is not a future. More and more organizations are making the leap:
- ING uses AI for advanced risk analysis and fraud detection. This allows experts to focus on the exceptions that require true human judgment.
- KLM deploys AI chatbots for standard customer questions, giving employees more time for complex cases and personalized service.
- VDL Groep applies AI for predictive maintenance, minimizing production downtime and allowing technicians to focus on process optimization.
These examples show that AI not only increases productivity, but more importantly improves the quality and added value of work.
From man-machine to man-machine
The real transformation begins when AI and humans make decisions together. Executives no longer receive stacks of Excel files, for example, but concise AI summaries with different scenarios. This allows them to make faster and more informed choices. In marketing, logistics and HR, new roles are emerging in which people guided by AI recognize trends faster, assess risks and seize opportunities.
This does require a different way of thinking about work. No longer is the goal to completely replace people, but to enable them to add more value. AI increases the collective intelligence of the organization.
Start small, learn fast
The implementation of AI is not a big bang, but an iterative learning process. Start with a targeted pilot. Set a concrete goal: shorten a process, increase customer satisfaction, reduce errors. Measure impact, adjust, scale up. This includes realistic considerations: from ethics and data quality to internal resistance and employee training.
In the process, mistakes are inevitable – and desirable. For it is precisely by setting up small experiments in the workplace and learning from them that the necessary learning curve for successful integration is created.
The future of work is both human and AI-enabled
The discussion of AI must shift from fear of substitution to leveraging amplification. AI can be a catalyst for better work, smarter organizations and more motivated employees. Provided we use it as a co-worker, not a controller.
AI is not an end in itself, but a means to make work more meaningful, smarter and more human. The organizations that understand this will soon not only be more efficient – they will also be more innovative, agile and attractive to talent.
The shift has already begun. The question is: when will you start the first pilot?
