Why it's time to embrace 'people-first AI'
AI agents aren't the real disruptors—unprepared workforces are
The following column from Freshworks Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Mika Yamamoto originally appeared on Fast Company.
AI is everywhere, but businesses that rely solely on cutting-edge tech without the right culture won’t fully benefit from the art of the possible. The real competitive edge? A people-first approach.
As I speak to hundreds of customers, leaders in their domains aren’t wielding AI as a job killer; forward-thinking companies use it to supercharge human potential—fueling critical thinking, sharpening problem-solving and fueling innovation.
Yet still, too many businesses get bogged down, wading through overhyped, overpriced AI solutions that will either simplify or further complicate an already complex world. The best AI doesn’t overwhelm—it unlocks efficiency, streamlines decisions, and fuels real growth. The organizations that thrive aren’t the ones chasing the latest AI trends but the ones that build a culture where people and tech amplify each other.
AI will take you from zero to unstoppable
What is the biggest mistake businesses make with AI? Seeing the value as a substitute for human talent (immediate OpEx savings) rather than a force multiplier (providing top and bottom line wins). Employees, of course, aren’t looking to be replaced—they’re looking to be empowered. Leaders use AI to help their teams work smarter, not harder.
When best used, AI eliminates soul-crushing, repetitive tasks—summarizing customer calls, responding to basic customer questions, predicting a customer’s wants and needs—so people can focus on creative problem-solving, strategic thinking, and meaningful work. This makes employees and customers happy. It also enables businesses to scale without the need to scale people linearly.
The impact is real: A recent report from my company found that 98% of employees gained time back thanks to AI, using it to mentor others, create, and deliver bigger business outcomes. This isn’t just theory—the value is being realized across all functions. At the company I work for, Freshworks, our engineering teams have embraced AI. The result? Coding time is down 30%, and code quality is up by 61%.
More importantly, AI is reshaping how our engineers collaborate, learn, and solve problems—proving that AI fuels creativity, not job losses. The question isn’t whether AI will unlock your team’s potential; employees are using it whether it is company-sanctioned or not. Embrace the possibilities. Provide forums to listen to employees about what works and what does not. Optimize licenses across teams. Share best practices across functions.
Ditch the chatbots for AI agents
Basic chatbots are painful to set up and painful to administer. We learned a lot from using them, and we saw some value. You can’t let past experiences jade you from considering AI agents. The usability and power of AI agents and Assistants are improving daily. Good ones are life-changing for customers and administrators alike. Nowadays, they can get up and running in minutes vs. months.
They’re conversational, intelligent, adaptive tools that don’t just respond but act, learn, and collaborate as you seek to summarize a meeting, work together to research and create a presentation, or determine the root cause of an issue. Unlike their static predecessors, AI agents integrate seamlessly into workflows, handling complex tasks and amplifying human capabilities.
By 2028, 33% of enterprise software will be powered by agentic AI, up from less than 1% today, according to Gartner. That shift will redefine how businesses operate, offloading repetitive tasks so employees can focus on strategy, innovation, and impact.
Read also: The evolution of chatbots
AI needs adult supervision
AI is powerful, but humans must stay in the loop. Blind automation can lead to costly mistakes—a wrong refund, a misinterpreted request, a security breach—that destroy trust. The smartest organizations keep people involved, ensuring AI is properly trained and communicates effectively to enhance decision-making. They also implement governance mechanisms to oversee AI use, ensuring data integrity, security, and maximizing impact while avoiding duplication. Training employees on the dos and don’ts of AI prevents issues later.
Enter Governance: Governance isn’t about slowing AI down; it’s about making it work for everyone—employees, customers, and the business. Companies must define how AI interacts with data, where human oversight is needed, and what tasks it should handle. Without proper guardrails, AI can erode trust, expose sensitive data, and create chaos. Responsible AI is key to unlocking its full potential ethically, securely, and transparently.
The solution? AI + human oversight. While training AI agents, before AI sends a response or takes action, a human checkpoint ensures it communicates like the best employee would and delivers a seamless, trustworthy experience. AI works best not as a replacement but as a force multiplier for human judgment—turning good service into great, consistent service.
To make AI work effectively, ensure strong security protocols with regular audits, maintain clean and reliable data for accurate outputs, continuously update models based on real-world feedback, and define clear triggers for when human intervention is needed in complex or sensitive situations.
Customers don’t care about the algorithms behind the scenes; they care about service. Whether booking a flight or getting customer support, they expect fast, reliable interactions.
AI won't take your job if you're ready for it
AI isn’t the real disruptor—unprepared workforces are. The organizations and individual employees that win in the AI era won’t be the ones with the flashiest tech, but the ones that invest in upskilling their people (and the employees who embrace it). When employees have the right tools and training, AI shifts from a perceived threat to a career accelerator, boosting morale, agility, and long-term growth.
The numbers prove it: Gallup found that organizations with clear expectations and alignment see a 9% jump in profitability, a 32% drop in turnover, and a 15% boost in productivity. The message is clear: AI isn’t outright replacing people—it’s rewarding those who know how to use it. The question is, will your workforce be ready?
AI isn't the future—how we use it is
The organizations that thrive in the AI era won’t be the ones chasing hype but rather the ones that put people at the center of their AI strategy. That means keeping humans in the loop, investing in upskilling, and building ethical guardrails to guide AI’s evolution.
