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Saturday, July 05, 2025
What If My Team Is Resistant to Using AI Because They're Afraid It Will Replace Them?
The Short Version
The news media has irresponsibly scared everyone into thinking AI will steal all jobs, but that's complete BS. AI can't flip a burger, fix a car, or understand what true anger feels like. It's a tool – like giving someone a shovel instead of making them dig with their hands. Your team's resistance is killing your competitive advantage, and it's time to fix it with proper change management.
I'm going to point fingers here: The news media created this fear – now let's destroy it with reality
Key Takeaways
- The media's "AI will take all jobs" narrative is fundamentally wrong and irresponsible
- AI literally cannot perform physical tasks – it has no hands
- AI has high IQ but zero EQ (emotional intelligence) – the key to business success
- Real example: YouTube ad editor thought he'd be fired, instead got to do 400x more work
- Someone still has to "push the buttons" – AI doesn't magically know what you need
- Service businesses especially need human connection that robots can't provide
- 4-step change management process gets teams excited instead of terrified
Can AI Replace My Staff or Customer Service Team?
Look, I'm not normally the type of person who likes to push blame, but I'm absolutely going to call this out: I totally blame the news for this mess.
The news was like, "Ah, AI! Everyone be afraid! AI is going to take our jobs!"
Well, here's the reality check they won't give you: AI cannot flip a burger. I get it – everyone has higher aspirations than burger flipping – but AI by definition cannot take every single job because it literally cannot perform physical tasks.
So when the news makes blanket statements scaring everyone that AI will steal their jobs, that's not just wrong – it's irresponsible fear-mongering.
Do we expect anything else from the news? No.
But now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about what's really happening and how to get your team on board instead of cowering in fear.
Why AI Can’t Run the Race for You
"Think of it this way: If you're digging with your hands versus digging with a shovel, one is just a hell of a lot easier. You can get a hell of a lot more done, faster. But if I'm paying someone to dig a hole and I give them a shovel, I don't suddenly stop paying them – I still need someone to dig with that shovel."
The goal isn't to replace humans, it's to take nonhuman tasks off someone's plate so they can spend all their time focused on the human-centric work that actually drives your business forward.
Here are the Fundamental Truths the Media Won't Tell You:
- AI = Extremely High IQ: Access to all information, faster processing than Einstein
- Humans = Emotional Intelligence: Understanding pain, motivation, influence, connection
- Why This Matters: Business is about solving human problems, and you need to understand human pain to solve it
Think about it: We're going to give doctors bigger databases so they can diagnose better (sounds good).
Mechanics will have access to knowledge about every car ever made instead of just what's in their heads (also sounds good).
But someone still needs that bedside manner, and someone still needs to actually fix the car.
Why Service Businesses Especially Need Humans
I help consultants, coaches, and agencies save 10 hours per week by optimizing their tech stack. Here's what I've learned: Business is fundamentally about human-to-human connection.
Sure, if you're calling the DMV, an AI robot would probably be nicer than those angry DMV people.
But when it comes to:
- Marketing that actually connects with pain points
- Life coaching that requires empathy
- Any service where people are craving human understanding
You don't want an emotionless robot handling that. People can sense authenticity, and they're hungry for real human connection – especially in our increasingly digital world.
Real-World Reality Check: The YouTube Ad Story
I literally read this today: A guy who helps businesses create YouTube ads found an AI tool that creates hundreds of ad variations in minutes instead of weeks.
His video editor panicked: "Is my job in jeopardy?"
The boss's response? "Your job's not in jeopardy. Think about how much more output we're going to be able to do because AI enables us to do more work in less time."
Here's the kicker – that editor does more than just edit videos. There's uploading, distributing, setting up links, managing campaigns.
If the boss fired him to "save money," guess who'd have to do all that extra work? The boss.
This is the reality: AI creates 400x more output, but someone still has to manage, direct, and execute the human elements.
How Do I Integrate AI Into My Existing Processes?
I've spent 10 years in tech consulting, and the number of times I built amazing workflows that never got used because of poor change management... dude, if I kept all that wasted money, I'd never have to work again.
Here's how to actually get humans to adopt change:
Step 1: Pain (Make Them Feel It)
You have to make people feel how bad the current process really is. Like when you're trying to lose weight and your pants don't fit – that painful moment where you go "Oh my god, I'm absolutely done with this."
Let the complaints flow. It's cathartic therapy AND it gives you exactly what you need to fix with AI implementation.
Step 2: Demonstration (Show the Paradise Island)
Don't just tell them about the solution – demonstrate it.
This can be:
- Live demos of the AI tool in action
- Verbal walkthroughs of the new process
- Before/after comparisons that make them go "holy shit"
Remember: You're not selling the cramped plane ride to Hawaii, you're selling the paradise island getaway.
Step 3: Involvement (People Support What They Help Create)
Brendan Bruchard nailed it: "People will support that which they help create."
Get the people who actually do the work involved in building the solution. I can't tell you how many times I was in meetings with stakeholders who said "We don't know how we do that" when I needed to understand their process. Cool, you pay the bills, but you're not helpful to me.
Find the person who does the actual work. Get them involved. They won't feel blindsided when you roll things out.
Step 4: Roll Out with Support
Give people a specific place to complain. Seriously.
Create a Google form, Slack channel, dedicated email, or even a whiteboard in the office.
Tell them: "If you have problems with this new process, here's exactly where you go."
Here's the crazy part: If you give people a specific way to complain upfront, you'll get way fewer complaints than if you give them no avenue at all. You'll get 10x more complaints behind your back if they have nowhere to voice frustration.
Pro Tip: Your AI Opportunities are in the Complaints
Start with your most painful, time-sucking process.
Find that one thing everyone bitches about that takes forever and produces mediocre results. Show them how AI can eliminate that pain while freeing them up for the human-centered work that actually matters.
Once they see the personal benefit, resistance melts away.
Winning the Race: AI Integration That Actually Works
Stop letting media fear-mongering kill your competitive advantage. AI isn't coming for jobs – it's coming to make the humans who embrace it unstoppable.
The reality: Businesses that successfully combine AI efficiency with human emotional intelligence will dominate their markets. The ones paralyzed by fear will get left behind.
Your job as a leader isn't to coddle the fear – it's to show your team that AI makes them more valuable, not less. When they understand they're being enhanced rather than replaced, you'll have not just buy-in, but genuine excitement.
Remember: Someone still has to push the buttons. Someone still has to understand human pain. Someone still has to provide that emotional connection your clients are craving. That someone is your team – now supercharged with AI.
Next Steps:
Listen to the full podcast episode below and start with step one today.
Map out one workflow that your team frequently complains about and identify exactly where the pain points exist. That's your roadmap to AI implementation success.
Want Personalized Help? Book a Tech Clarity Call
Listen To The Winning Business Podcast
The businesses winning with AI aren't the ones using the most tools, they're the ones using the right tools in the right places with full team buy-in.
FAQs
You have got questions, we have got answers
What if my team member's specific job really could be completely automated?
Even then, someone needs to prompt the AI, quality-check results, and manage the process. The role evolves into "AI manager" rather than disappearing. Plus, if you fire them, YOU get to do all that work instead.
How do I know which tasks should use AI versus staying human?
Simple test: Does it require physical action, emotional understanding, or human connection? Keep it human. Is it repetitive, data-heavy, or time-consuming knowledge work? Perfect for AI.
My team says they're too busy to learn AI tools. How do I handle this?
That's literally the pain point! Help them calculate how many hours they waste on manual tasks each week, then show how learning one AI tool will save them 10+ hours weekly. Sometimes you have to invest time to save time.
What happens when people try to implement AI tools randomly without strategy?
Complete chaos. Disconnected processes, confused teams, wasted money, and zero actual efficiency gains. It's like buying expensive tools but having no plan for using them – you end up with a garage full of equipment you never touch.
You need to analyze your current workflows, identify the biggest bottlenecks, and understand which processes have clear inputs/outputs where AI can make immediate impact. The key is starting strategically rather than randomly throwing AI at everything and hoping it sticks.
This is exactly what we'll cover in the next episode: The Biggest Risks to Implementing AI Without a Clear Strategy
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Weekly Strategies: Get behind-the-scenes insights, and step-by-step tutorials that you can implement immediately for real results. Join subscribers who get first access to exclusive content and member-only resources that aren't available anywhere else.
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- Deep Dive Tech Audit (Build Your 90 Day Plan): We go under the hood of your entire tech stack, identify what's really broken (not just what feels broken), and create your personalized 90-day roadmap to reclaim 10+ hours per week through streamlined workflows.
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Howdy, I'm The Business Cowgirl
(aka Alyssa Schaefer 🤠)
Online Business Digital Architect and AI Strategist
- 10+ years building businesses online and developing backend workflows
- Senior-level experience in business process automation and CRM optimization
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