Manager with AI looking over his shoulder

Will AI agents and Super AI replace humans as managers?

After attending a session at SXSW on AI in the workplace, Senior Front End Developer Andrew Lismanto delves into what the future may look like for managers in an AI-driven world.

Andrew Lismanto

12 November 2024

6 minute read

One of the interesting sessions that I attended in SXSW Sydney 2024 was titled ‘AI as Your Next Co-Worker: Transforming Collaboration in the Future of Work’. This session presented the audience explored the potential of AI agents and what we can achieve with them.

AI continues development and its applications in business are moving beyond data analysis and automation. Today, AI is no longer just a tool for repetitive tasks. It’s evolving into more sophisticated forms known as AI agents and Super AI systems. These advancements brought me to an interesting question: Will AI Agents and Super AI replace humans as managers?

Let’s look at the kind of advancements in AI that have sparked this question. Firstly, some background on how AI agents and Super AI work:

  1. AI agents: Traditional AI simply processes data and provides outputs. AI agents can act on specific tasks with a level of independence. AI agents can take instructions, use tools, access data across systems, and even learn from feedback to improve performance.
  2. Super AI: Super AI acts as a coordinator and takes things further by orchestrating multiple AI agents, each one specialised for certain tasks. It’s a bit like a conductor guiding an orchestra, where each AI agent performs its own play according to the specified sheet.

With AI agents’ ability to handle large amounts of data, automate complex workflows, and execute certain types of decisions, combined with Super AI’s ability to coordinate and optimise resources, enabling more efficient, data-driven operations, could AI completely replace humans as managers? In this post I’ll explore some arguments for and against AI’s potential to replace humans as managers.

Why AI agents and Super AI could replace humans as managers

With AI agents and Super AI, we have technology capable of doing more than just automation or crunching numbers. These AI systems are specifically designed to act independently, collaborate across different functions, and even self-improve based on past outcomes.

AI agents as task masters

AI agents can independently complete tasks, gather data, and even perform certain decision-making processes. They don’t require constant input, instead executing tasks based on set criteria. For instance, an AI agent in recruitment could screen thousands of resumes, filter top candidates based on criteria, and schedule interviews without human intervention.

AI agents are designed to adapt and learn, using memory to refine their processes over time. This ability to handle complex workflows and self-improve could make them useful in areas that require oversight of routine operations, a responsibility traditionally managed by humans.

Super AI as the orchestrator

Super AI takes things a step further. Acting as a ‘manager’, it coordinates multiple AI agents, each specialised for different tasks like HR, finance, and project management. Super AI can manage a broad set of tasks in a way that optimises efficiency, much like a human project manager assigns work to team members based on each person’s strengths.

Imagine super AI managing a complex, multi-department project. It could assign tasks to different AI agents, monitor timelines, flag delays, and ensure each step is completed in alignment with the overall project goal. By combining speed, accuracy, and the ability to handle complex processes, super AI could potentially replace managers in highly structured environments where clear data and outcomes drive success.

Data-driven decision-making

Managers rely on data to make informed decisions, whether in sales forecasts, resource allocation, or performance reviews. AI provides the ability to analyse large datasets almost instantaneously. AI’s data processing power and ability to generate actionable insights could make it well-suited to roles that involve repetitive decision-making.

In scenarios where decisions are based purely on metrics, AI could theoretically step in as a decision-maker. For example, super AI in marketing could adjust budgets, monitor campaign results, and make real-time optimisations based on customer data patterns.

These are some examples of how AI agents and super AI could take on roles that are traditionally handled by managers, offering consistency, speed, and efficiency. However, while AI shows remarkable capabilities, the qualities that define leadership go beyond that.

Why humans cannot be replaced by AI

While AI has transformed many business functions, it has limitations that make it difficult to replace human managers. The aspects of leadership that make teams cohesive, motivated, and resilient require empathy, ethical judgement and intuition.

Empathy

Empathy is one of the most essential qualities for a manager. With empathy managers are able to understand, connect with, and support team members on a personal level. Effective management is more than just dividing and assigning tasks. It’s also about building trust and creating a positive work environment.

For example, an employee might be struggling due to personal issues. A human manager will be able to recognise the signs and offer support, or simply a listening ear. Empathy creates connections and motivates people – a core quality that AI can not replace.

Ethical judgement and complex decision-making

Managers often need to make decisions that go beyond data and involve ethical considerations. AI can provide recommendations based on numbers, but it lacks a sense of moral responsibility. Ethical decision-making requires balancing an organisation’s needs with fairness and respect for individuals.

For example, imagine a scenario where a company or division needs to have budget cuts. AI might recommend layoffs based on financial data, and will provide a list of personnel that will be laid off. A human manager on the other hand could consider alternative approaches, like reducing hours or reassigning roles, to preserve jobs. Ethical judgement is more complex than just stats and numbers. It involves considering different values and long-term implications.

Intuition and adaptability

Intuition and experience are invaluable tools for managers, helping them respond to challenges with flexibility and adapt strategies to fit changing conditions. AI can process historical data, but it lacks the instinct that comes from real-life experience.

A manager might sense early signs of burnout within a team and take preventive action before performance suffers. This awareness comes from experience and understanding of team dynamics. 

Building and maintaining a positive workplace culture

Building and maintaining a positive workplace culture is another critical aspect of management. Strong workplace culture depends on genuine interactions, trust, and shared values.

A manager who takes the time to celebrate team successes, listen to feedback, and encourage personal development fosters a sense of belonging and respect within the team. AI might be able to track engagement metrics, but it cannot create the sense of community and trust that builds team loyalty. Positive culture is built on relationships, and that requires a human touch.

The future: AI and human partnership?

Rather than viewing AI as a replacement, it’s more helpful to think of AI as a partner that enhances managers’ capabilities. AI can handle data-heavy tasks, streamline processes, and offer valuable insights. This will allow managers to focus on strategic and people-centred aspects of leadership.

For example, an AI system might flag that certain employees have worked extensive overtime. A manager can then interpret this data, connect with those employees, and ensure they’re maintaining a healthy work-life balance. AI provides the data, but the manager provides the context, empathy, and personal connection needed to address the issue effectively.

The rise of AI agents and Super AI holds exciting possibilities for enhancing productivity and improving data-driven decisions in management. These technologies can certainly take on many routine tasks, and they offer new ways to optimise processes and scale operations. However, the heart of effective management – empathy, ethical judgement, intuition, and the ability to inspire – remain human traits that AI cannot replicate.

It’s very likely that AI will work alongside managers in the future, amplifying their ability to lead while allowing them to focus on what matters most, their people. In this sense, AI will transform how managers work, but it won’t replace why they lead. Leadership is about human connection, judgement, inspiring, connecting, and caring for people, and those qualities are irreplaceable.

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