12/03/2026
I read an article earlier this week that made me pause and think about how AI is changing the way people learn their profession.
A lot of the conversation about AI focuses on which tasks it can replace, how business can scale back on tasks that are repetitive and reduce staffing costs.
• Scheduling meetings
• Drafting emails.
• Summarising discussions.
• Planning travel.
And it’s true, technology is becoming incredibly good at those things.
But the article raised a different point. And that was, many of those tasks were never just “tasks”. They were the training ground for future knowledge and experience. When assistants spend years managing calendars, meetings, and communications, they begin to notice patterns like which meetings really matter, when a leader is overloaded, when a decision is being rushed, when something simple might create bigger problems elsewhere.
That’s not typing or organising, It’s judgement.
And judgement usually comes from years of seeing how a business actually works from the inside.
AI can generate information quickly, but understanding context, relationships, and human dynamics is much harder.
So, the interesting question becomes this:
If technology removes the work that once helped people learn the profession, how will the next generation develop that experience? Hmmm, a lot to consider ...
It’s not just an issue for assistants either — the same pattern is appearing in many industries. Efficiency is improving but the way people build expertise might be changing.
Curious to hear your thoughts — have you seen this happening in your own field?
