Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
You arrive home after a trying day with your menacing boss, and as you attempt to decompress, you begin interacting with your AI-powered devices.
“Alexa, play my music to relax by playlist.”
And “Siri, what can I make when all I have in my refrigerator are celery, salsa, and pasta leftovers from last night?”
Then you open your computer and feed ChatGPT a few updates you’d like it to use to compose a long overdue email to your parents.
You think to yourself, “If only I could ask for and get help this easily from my boss.”
You’re not alone. A recent poll shows nearly 1 in 10 Gen Zers are hoping that their boss will be replaced by new technology. Ironically, they think a boss that’s a bot would act “in a more humane way” — as in fairer, friendlier, and less frightening.
Sad to say, many bosses fail to manage with any measure of kindness or consideration toward their employees, and AI bots might seem less intimidating than many human bosses. But are you really to the point of preferring a machine to a human?
Comparing AI Bots and Humans Bosses: The Pros and Cons
Let’s review the finer points of the two choices.
- Fairness: Would a virtual boss be consistently fairer compared to my erratic boss? In some circumstances, like applying promotions according to seniority, it’s possible.
Still, if AI is programmed to apply rules unswervingly, you may not get any leeway when you come in late, miss a deadline, or need to leave when you’re feeling sick.
- Offering ideas: Would I feel more safe sharing my ideas to an impartial bot than my overbearing superior? Maybe. But will the bot be able to weigh all the pros and cons? Will you more easily get shot down if a bot can’t interpret the nuance behind an innovative concept?
A human boss, depending on his willingness to listen to creative solutions, may be more persuadable when pondering your proposal.
- Connection: Would a detached bot be more pleasing to interact with than my aloof boss?
A leader whose shell is hard to crack can seem unapproachable, while a bot would be completely accessible 24/7. Then again, bots have no real interest or involvement in fostering interpersonal connections.
Still, wouldn’t it be a huge triumph to get your boss to smile back or make a positive remark about your work? And once you break through, you’ve strengthened the bond.
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- Productivity: Could I be more productive under a bot as compared to my mercurial manager?
An AI manager would likely expect a formulaic work schedule with little room for deviating from the prescribed measure of output. If you’re able to stick to its cadence, this could be preferable to a manager who is volatile and unpredictable. If the output isn’t hitting the mark, though, and the environment has changed along the way, a boss will have more flexibility to quickly change course.
Remaining adaptable is your best strategy.
- Intelligence: Could an AI boss actually be smarter than my human boss with an MBA?
Considering that bots are fed information for every conceivable scenario, they’re much more likely to surpass even a valedictorian MBA in breadth and scope of a given field. And, assuming they’re given regular upgrades, they are also more likely to have the latest knowledge available.
- Control: Could I easily manipulate an AI boss as opposed to my unbending boss? It’s doubtful.
An AI manager would make decisions based purely on data and predetermined criteria. Don’t expect to get it to veer from its prescribed course.
Human managers, meanwhile, tend to be influenced by personal relationships, unconscious biases, office politics, and so on. It’s possible working one of these angles could produce stellar results.
- Performance: Would the bot’s algorithm offer constructive feedback versus my boss’s inadequate annual reviews?
The bot’s performance evaluations will be backed by data, which leaves no room for subjective assessment. This works in your favor if you’ve been consistently on the mark.
A boss, though, even if seemingly checked out from evaluating your performance, could be persuaded if you have a legitimate reason for any slippage. “To err is human,” after all.
For now, you’ll have to let go of your dream of having a bot instead of a boss because these days upper management is focused on ways to use AI rather than being replaced by it.
If, however, your boss represents all the flawed qualities in a manager, you may need to start looking for a job with an employer who presents more bot-like behaviors. If a bot would bring impartiality, problem-solving, and sound judgment, go looking for employers with these traits.
And give a bit of credit to the qualities that only a human can inhabit: emotional intelligence, empathy, and inspiration. Those aren’t to be found in an AI counterpart… yet.
