Why Human Judgment Still Matters (Even with AI Everywhere)
When tech fixes everything but nobody picks up the phone, you start to miss the humans. Here’s what I’ve learned building a hybrid AI company.
Sometimes I get the sense that everyone in the tech world is racing to remove the last traces of humanity from their businesses. Last week, I found myself locked in a five-day standoff with a software tool I use to manage my company’s cap table. I pay them about $3,000 a year, real money for what should be a simple, reliable service. I had a basic problem, one I was sure someone could fix with a few keystrokes. Instead, I waited five days for a response. When it finally came, it wasn’t even a real answer. No solution, no real next step, just a faceless message from somewhere far away.
I hated that feeling, like I’d handed my business off to a robot who couldn’t care less. And I realized, ironically, just how much I miss the humans.
Here’s what I believe: while AI is incredibly powerful, the companies that succeed in the next wave will be those that blend artificial intelligence with accessible, accountable human expertise. Not just in theory, but built right into the DNA of how they operate. We’ve built FOMO.ai around this conviction, and the longer I’m in this space, the more certain I become that the hybrid approach is not a compromise. It’s the future.
AI Can Match Genius, But Not Sell It
One of my favorite stories to illustrate this tension comes from my days in advertising. Imagine being in the room when a creative team pitched Nike on “Just Do It.” The phrase, of course, is now part of brand history.
But think about this… These days, if you dumped all the prep materials, brainstorming notes, and transcripts from those meetings into an AI, I’m convinced the algorithm could eventually spit out “Just Do It” among its hundreds of suggestions.
That’s not the remarkable bit.
The real moment of value came when a real, live person stood up, put their name to the idea, and looked the Nike team in the eyes. They staked their professional reputations on a few bold words and convinced a roomful of skeptical executives that this was the right move. AI could have generated the line, but it couldn’t have sold the vision.
That’s the moment I always come back to when people ask if humans are really necessary in AI-driven work. The answer, for me, is a resounding yes.
Where AI Shines, Where Humans Lead
When we started, we made a deliberate choice: figure out which jobs AI does best, and which calls still need a human touch. For us, that breakdown is clear. Our platform helps clients earn sales and leads from AI-powered search. We let the AI handle the heavy optimization and the analysis, the kind of work that used to take two months in an agency is now completed in under an hour. It’s almost absurd how efficient it’s become; nobody wants to wait two months for information these days!
AI is also remarkably good at writing what I’d call “human quality” content, but for some clients, usually those with a BIG brand name, the last mile matters. So, we review content with humans, we help interpret strategy, and we guide clients not just through what’s happening but also WHY.
The trick is defining and protecting those roles. Let AI do the math, find the patterns, and generate at scale. Let people anchor the strategy, interpret nuance, and step in when intuition is required.
Why Speed Isn’t Everything (And What’s Missing from Pure Tech)
It’s easy to celebrate the speed that AI brings. Clients see results quickly, in a world where everyone wants their content found by the big AI models as fast as possible. The pace has become non-negotiable.
Fast results usually trigger delight, at least at first.
But there’s an undercurrent I’ve noticed: many clients assume that working with an “AI company” means dealing with something cold and faceless. They brace themselves for impersonal exchanges, ticketing systems, and the sinking feeling that nobody on the other side is invested in their success. So, when we reach out with a name, a face, and a direct line for questions, a private Slack channel, (and even a free Starbucks coffee,) they’re often caught off guard (in a good way).
Delight & surprise always pays dividends.
We don’t hide the humans behind layers of process. Sometimes our team acts as what some could call a “safety blanket.” That doesn’t just mean technical support, it’s also for things like, “I saw something scary on LinkedIn about AI and marketing. Does this affect me?” or “Am I making a huge mistake I’m not seeing?”
Here’s what I find myself repeating: the human element isn’t about coddling; it’s about trust and accountability. When things move at AI speeds, mistakes happen quickly, too. Sometimes, you just want a real person to tell you it’s going to be okay, or flag when it’s really not.
Dyson Had It Right
It is said that James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, was in a meeting where the operations team was discussing new ways to optimize processes so their call centres received fewer calls.
His attitude was that they should consider themselves fortunate to have a customer reach out to them, and they should treat it as a positive opportunity.
YES!
It goes without saying that you should try and make a better product, and you should try and make calls efficient for both parties, but the point is that human interaction is meaningful, and can be turned into a future opportunity.
The Myth of Pure SaaS (and the Cost of Infinite Scaling)
I want to raise a flag here because I see a widespread delusion: that stripping out human involvement always means a better business. Investors (especially in SaaS) have hammered this home for years. Services, real, messy, human services, were seen as a flaw because you can’t “infinitely scale” people.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, the relentless pursuit of pure SaaS creates awful user experiences. My cap table story is one of many. Waiting days for a robotic answer to a simple problem isn’t just infuriating, it’s damaging. It devalues my investment and erodes trust.
I’m convinced that this investor-driven mindset, that any human touch is a negative, has outlived its usefulness. It’s not just me; I see it shifting. Some investors still say “no thanks” when they realize we involve people. They hear “human” and think “lower margins.” But our margins are still strong, better than some “pure” SaaS companies. Plus, user experience trumps theoretical scalability, especially when every competitor sounds and acts the same.
When every tool is faceless, customers start craving a real conversation. They don’t want another soulless ticketing system. Real solutions, delivered by real experts, are starting to look like an advantage again. I welcome this.
The Human Safety Net: It’s Not Optional
Some people, especially in tech, see human support as optional, a “nice to have” layered on top of a “real” AI platform. They’re wrong. Building ways for customers to connect with a person, even if they might never use it, changes how they feel about your entire company. It means when something feels risky or unclear, there’s someone actually accountable.
We do have offerings that are totally hands-off if a client wants that. Our AI can drive results alone. But we always keep the door open for human interaction when the stakes get high, or the questions become existential. Sometimes, our clients don’t use us for troubleshooting at all; they use us as a gut check or to interpret broad shifts happening in real time.
Making humans available isn’t just about solving immediate problems; it’s also an anchor for trust as our world becomes more automated and, yes, more uncertain.
Done-For-You Shouldn’t Mean Overpriced
Another lesson we’ve internalized: we can offer “done for you” services powered by both humans and our AI, giving clients the full agency experience but at a fraction of legacy agency costs. This flexibility works well for us. Clients who want to hand everything off can, but their experience is guided by real experts using the best AI we have. They get results, and know someone’s watching the details.
This spectrum, sometimes hands-off, sometimes deeply personalized, is what modern customers actually want. Not everyone wants to run everything themselves, nor do they want to be left in the dark. People value choice, and the closer we get to pure automation without any welcome mat for actual conversations, the more I see people pushing back.
What You Can Use Today
If you’re building, buying, or investing in AI-powered solutions, here’s my advice from the trenches:
Define the roles. Be crystal clear about what the AI should do (data processing, analysis, content generation) and which parts require human judgment (strategy, brand nuance, client reassurance). Know it will evolve quickly.
Don’t hide your people. Even a simple Slack channel or an email address to a real expert can build massive goodwill. It’s not just tech support, it’s forming relationships.
Speed plus expertise wins. Use AI for instant results, but back it up with someone who can interpret what’s happened and advise on next steps.
Beware the infinite scale trap. “Pure” SaaS looks good on paper but can destroy customer trust if support is non-existent or robotic.
Flex your offering. Some clients want totally self-serve, some want agency-style engagement. There is room for both, in fact, most crave optionality.
Be as human as you can be. Send that wedding card, send that food hamper to the sick client who’s been with you for 12 months.
If You Only Remember One Thing...
Technology moves fast, but trust is built slowly. Companies that combine AI efficiency with human accountability will win the next decade, not by scaling facelessness, but by making sure someone always picks up the phone.
Dax is the Co-Founder & CEO @ FOMO.ai, and the author of 84Futures.com.