Substitution of Humans
What is it?
One of the most far-reaching consequences of generative AI is its ability to replace or streamline human skills at an unprecedented pace. AI can now write texts, design illustrations, draft legal documents, plan marketing campaigns, translate languages, and even interpret medical images—tasks that previously required education and experience. This raises both organizational and ethical questions.
Once AI reaches a certain level of competence, the question arises: What do you do as a leader, company, or public institution when the technology makes people "redundant"? Do you have a responsibility to retrain, upskill, or find new roles for employees—or is it up to society, the individual, or the labor market to deal with the consequences?
At the same time, another phenomenon is taking place: When AI takes over tasks, people gradually lose their ability to perform them themselves. This may be harmless in some cases, but serious in others—especially if no one can “take over” when the technology fails, or if we lose the ability to develop and evaluate quality.
Examples:
Many media outlets now use generative AI to write articles or summaries. This saves time—but also means that young journalists have fewer opportunities to practice and develop their craft. If AI always writes the first draft, editorial teams may eventually lose core writing skills.
AI-based image generators like Midjourney and DALL·E are used by companies to create illustrations, infographics, and marketing visuals. This reduces the demand for graphic designers, especially freelancers—and in some cases, entire creative teams are being replaced.
In the healthcare sector, AI is used to recognize patterns in X-rays and scan data. But if junior doctors only confirm the AI's assessment rather than analyzing the images themselves, the profession risks losing essential diagnostic knowledge.
What to consider?
Consider how your organization will handle it when AI begins to take over tasks that once required human labor. Do you have a plan for preserving, redistributing, or developing your employees’ skills?
Also think long term: What skills are at risk of disappearing if AI takes over the entire process? And which areas of human judgment are important to maintain—for the sake of quality, learning, and accountability?
It’s not new for technology to change work tasks. But with AI, it’s happening faster—and across more professions. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly important to ask: Who takes responsibility for the change?