AI Isn't Taking Your Job, It's Changing It. Here's What That Looks Like.

DOHA—Amid the relentless march of artificial intelligence into the workplace, a persistent fear lingers: the machine is coming for your role. But for a growing number of executives building these tools, the narrative isn't one of replacement, but of evolution.

David Shim, CEO of Read AI, frames the technology as a sophisticated co-pilot. "There's always going to be a human in the middle," he said during an interview at Web Summit Qatar. He compared early AI adoption to the shift from paper maps to GPS. "The map tells you where to go, but you're still the one driving. You decide when to take a detour."

Shim acknowledges certain tasks, like manual note-taking or some advertising functions, are being automated. But he argues this clears space for higher-value work. "You can send a report faster, or respond to a customer with better context," he explained. "Instead of spending all your time gathering information, you have time to make a decision."

Abdullah Asiri, founder of support tool startup Lucidya, sees a similar pattern. "AI replaces tasks, not roles," he stated. In his experience, customer support agents freed from routine queries often transition into supervisors guiding both people and AI, or into relationship-building positions.

Internally, these companies are practicing what they preach, using AI to amplify small teams. Read AI's customer service team of five handles millions of users monthly. Lucidya aims for "scale outcomes without scaling headcounts." Both stress the growing need for "AI-native" employees—not builders of AI, but expert users who can wield it effectively.

Public acceptance is catching up. Shim noted initial hesitancy toward AI notetakers has faded as users gain control over recordings. For Asiri, the proof is in the resolution. "The customer really doesn't care whether it's fixed by AI or a human," he said, "as long as it's fixed fast and accurately." The focus, it seems, is shifting from who—or what—does the job, to how well it gets done.