For more than 40 years, I have seen innovative solutions emerge thanks to advances in IT. These technologies have transformed the way we work and live, but never, in all this time, have any of these solutions replaced humans. People remain the most important resource for businesses and any organization, whether public or private. It is humans who design, deploy and use technologies to meet the specific needs of their environment. Contrary to what some claim to promote their services, humans are neither a simple complement nor “augmented” by technology: they are the ones who give meaning to the tools and adapt them to complex contexts.
AI agents mark an exciting advance in computer science. These systems, combined with the powers of generative AI, are capable of planning, executing and automating complex tasks, ranging from data analysis to strategic process management. Their potential gives rise to debates around their ability to replace humans in essential functions, but this idea is a technological utopia.
Generative AI, despite its prowess in content creation and automation, remains fundamentally limited by its inability to sense, reason, or adapt to changing environments. It operates on statistical bases and existing data, without understanding the human context. Conversely, humans have irreplaceable intuition, creativity and flexibility, particularly in complex situations where ethical reflection and social relationships are essential.
Thus, AI agents and generative AI, although effective in automating repetitive tasks, transform human roles without eliminating them. Secretaries, developers and decision-makers see their jobs evolve to collaborate with these tools, while focusing on high added value activities. But these tools do not remove the importance of humans in decisions, relationships and strategies. It is humans who remain at the center, because they are the only ones capable of contextualizing and anticipating social, cultural and economic impacts.
Investing in these technologies can enable organizations to improve their performance and streamline their operations. However, this technological investment must go hand in hand with an increase in the skills of human teams, a transformation of organizational processes and vigilance regarding the biases and limitations of these tools. Public and private decision-makers must recognize that technology is only a tool, not an end. The future relies on people, who remain the essential engine of innovation, adaptation and progress. Underestimating this reality in favor of a blind fascination with technological solutions would be a major strategic error.
