Startup CEOs See AI as Human Collaboration, Not Replacement

As AI companies grow in both valuation and user base, the ongoing debate centers on how artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce. Research indicates that roles with highly automatable tasks will be most affected. However, some analysts argue AI will also generate new job opportunities, viewing any displacement as a transitional phase.

David Shim, CEO of the meeting intelligence platform Read AI, shared his perspective with TechCrunch at Web Summit Qatar earlier this month. He believes that despite the proliferation of AI tools, humans will ultimately remain the decision-makers, with their roles becoming more crucial. He likened the technology to using a navigation system in a car.

“There will always be a human in the loop,” Shim stated. “The job itself will become easier over time. Consider driving: initially, you used a physical map. You would unfold it, plot your route, and make all the decisions yourself. Now, most people rely on Waze or Google Maps, which provides turn-by-turn directions. You're still the one driving, following the instructions, but you retain the final authority to decide.”

Shim acknowledged that AI will indeed impact employment, citing advertising agencies as an example where human roles may be reduced by automation. Yet, he emphasized that tech platforms will simultaneously create new jobs to manage and oversee these automated processes.

Abdullah Asiri, founder of the AI-powered customer support startup Lucidya, offered a nuanced view. He contends that AI will replace specific tasks rather than entire roles. When clients implement Lucidya, he explained, customer support agents often transition into new responsibilities. Some become supervisors guiding both human teams and AI systems, while others dedicate their freed-up time to relationship-building and business development.

Shim also highlighted the practical benefits, noting that AI notetakers liberate employees from the manual drudgery of minute-taking.

“No one enjoys manually taking meeting notes,” he said. “By automating that task, you gain valuable time to focus on higher-value activities. You can send reports faster, respond to customers with richer context, and make better-informed decisions. Instead of spending most of your time compiling information, you can use that time for strategic thinking and action.”

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AI for Internal Operations and Hiring

As tech firms like Read AI and Lucidya integrate AI more deeply, they are focusing on maintaining lean teams. Read AI's customer service department, for instance, operates with just five people supporting millions of monthly users. Shim explained that AI tools enhance this small team's productivity by providing deeper context, enabling faster and more effective work.

These companies report significant productivity gains. Read AI's sales tool analyzes data from CRM platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce to predict deal outcomes. The startup reports that deals worth $200 million have been processed through this system. Shim added that Read AI captures 23% more contextual data with each update, valuable for analyzing the effectiveness of sales calls.

Lucidya's Asiri also noted his company employs AI tools, including Read AI, for meetings and marketing content creation. The objective is to "scale outcomes without scaling headcount."

“Every company aims to hire AI-native talent proficient in leveraging AI,” Asiri said. “But we must be realistic. This skill set is still developing. It's challenging to find many individuals with strong capabilities in applying AI, not just building it.”

Asiri pointed out that candidates who can build AI agents to augment their own workflows will be particularly sought after.

Managing Customer Perception of AI

Shim recalled that just a few years ago, many meeting participants were wary of AI notetakers and questioned why a 'bot' was on the call. Today, he says, acceptance is much higher, provided users are given clear controls over recording and data.

Asiri stated that Lucidya is transparent with users when a voice AI is involved in communication. For customers, he emphasized, the priority is resolving their issue, not the method used.

“It all comes down to problem-solving,” Asiri explained. “If AI agents effectively identify and resolve customer issues, users are satisfied. The customer ultimately doesn't care if a solution comes from AI or a human—as long as it's fast and accurate.”