The rise of artificial intelligence is causing quite a stir across various industries. As someone with two daughters working as freelance commercial graphic artists, I can attest to the growing concerns about AI potentially undercutting human creativity and driving talented individuals out of the market. While my daughters have every reason to be cautious, I find myself less worried. After all, can any machine truly replicate my unique style, sharp wit, and profound wisdom—not to mention my remarkable modesty?

Nevertheless, the introduction of new AI tools is prompting tech experts to sound the alarm about the potential for significant change. The future, as they say, is always upon us, advancing steadily with every passing hour. Yet, I remain unconvinced that these shiny new innovations are more than just enhanced iterations of their predecessors.

The impact of AI on roles traditionally held by humans is a topic that demands further exploration, particularly in areas like administrative assistance. These professionals excel at managing interpersonal interactions, scheduling appointments, orchestrating meetings, and navigating intricate details. Can an AI truly engage in negotiations with a human or display the necessary tact in these situations? Count me as a skeptic on this front.

Within the last month, a handful of new AI tools have pushed the technology past the tipping point — making it more accessible to everyone and more indispensable to those who know how to use it.

“Something big is happening,” Matt Shumer, co-founder and CEO of applied AI company OthersideAI, wrote earlier this week in a post on X that has since gone viral, attracting 75 million views and 34,000 shares.

Shumer described a before-and-after moment in his own work — the point at which AI stopped being a tool he guided and started completing complex, multi-day projects entirely on its own — and warned that the disruption will soon shape every profession.

Well, the future is always here; we’re catching up to it at the rate of one hour per hour, so that’s a somewhat nonsensical statement. But it seems to me that these new tools, no matter how slick and shiny, are just improved versions of the old ones.

OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant that debuted in late January, has already amassed millions of users, and is dominating the conversations and happy hours of everyone in tech.

Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anthropic, arguably the two most prominent AI labs, each released new models on Feb. 5 that were so powerful, some in the tech space believe they can already eliminate white collar jobs like administrative assistants and junior bankers.

I’d like to see more details on this, especially where administrative assistants are concerned. These are people whose primary goal is dealing with other people, making appointments, arranging meetings, and keeping details straight. Can an AI negotiate with a human? Show some tact in doing so? Color me skeptical.