What happens when a chatbot has a name and introduces itself as a team member? Bert and Julianna tackle the provocative question: Should AI agents appear on your organizational chart? From phone answering assistants named Jennifer to the "agentic era" where AI has access to company tools, this conversation explores the practical and philosophical implications of AI as a colleague.
They discuss how to position AI agents on teams, what happens to entry-level positions, interviewing for AI collaboration skills, and the critical importance of human judgment. Plus: why treating AI politely might actually get you better results, and the edge cases where human empathy can't be replaced.
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Episode Highlights:
Julianna encounters a chatbot that introduces itself by name, as if it's a team member. This sparks the central question: Should AI be on your org chart?
Bert reveals he's already deployed named AI agents: Jennifer answers phones, and the CEO's digital assistant handles rejected calls. AI is already on the team.
Bert introduces the concept of the "agentic era" - where AI agents have access to company tools and can take actions independently, not just respond to queries.
"The org chart probably should include the AI... but we're not gonna do it because that's not the way that people think." Bert on why this matters for organizational transparency.
Will candidates be evaluated on how well they work with AI? Discussion of AI archetypes and whether employees can leverage AI to add value to the company.
Not every company needs AI. Bert notes 7-10% of Americans don't have smartphones and are fine. Some businesses don't need "all this crap" - it's about strategic fit.
Julianna asks: What does the relationship look like when AI is your coworker? Who's teaching whom, and how do workplace dynamics change?
Being polite to AI costs more (more tokens) but gets better results. Bert explains why humanizing AI with "please" and "thank you" improves prompt quality.
Bert's recommendation: Frame AI as a junior team member here to assist. Set clear expectations about what it can do and emphasize that humans still own the output.
"I'd actually get the intern in still and pair it with the AI and say, you guys knock yourselves out and see what I get." Human-AI collaboration at the entry level.
The future: One human managing five AI agents answering customer calls. How do you track performance and attribution when AI is doing the work?
Bert's warning: Companies chasing efficiency now might harm productivity five years out. "They're eating their young" by replacing entry-level positions with AI.
AI agents specialized in different capabilities - like second-tier support. But they lack human sympathy and context for edge cases.
Julianna's airline story: A customer service rep who stayed on hold and "thought outside the box" to solve a unique problem. Why human empathy and creative problem-solving can't be replaced.
