Human Virtual Assistants Versus AI: Who Earns Your Love?

Artificial intelligence is all around us, whether we like it or not. It’s a multi-billion industry that’s changing the world today, from bots scheduling appointments and writing resumes to avatars that can sing like a real human being.

Alexa. Siri. ChatGPT. Google Bard. They’ve come in full force, fast, accurate and even speaking our language. They’re taking over our lives and changing how we normally do “the work.”

Thus, it begs the question: Are AIs pushing human virtual assistants out of the digital space already?

While it’s outstanding to watch AIs compete with human skills and abilities, they still fail to replicate human intelligence. And that’s exactly the reason why artificial intelligence is not pushing human virtual assistants to the curb.

Yes, they can curate content and deal with customer queries, but do they have the emotional intelligence to empathize with the audience or understand customer emotions? They don’t.

Nevertheless, the match between human virtual assistants versus AI still warrants attention, especially now that artificial intelligence continues to make its rounds across all business industries.

Let’s explore what AI “can” and “cannot” offer, and the advantages of seeking human VAs instead.

Who is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is a contractual remote professional who supports entrepreneurs and business owners by handling their daily administrative tasks.

Is It Worth Becoming a Virtual Assistant?

Unlike regular full-time employees, virtual assistants have more working flexibility and work-life balance. So, for anyone who craves freedom, a career as a VA is a perfect pursuit.

You can set your own working schedule, and choose where to work and who to work with.

Right now, though, there’s a newer version of a VA, the AIs, offering the same support with a much lower price tag.

So, What’s an AI Assistant?

An AI assistant is a virtual application with an expansive language model built to understand voice-based interactions. It’s a program that uses a specialized AI system that enables it to finish a task without needing someone to guide it.

This application can be accessed using smartphones, tablets and laptops.

AI assistants can help you manage your business, easily and quickly, using voice commands while having a human-like conversation with it.

Is Virtual Assistant the Same As AI? And What Type of AI Is Virtual Assistant?

AI is a human intelligence simulation. It’s an application that learns from data and functions without human interference. It can perform a wide range of tasks, like a genie in a bottle.

Conversely, virtual assistants are programmed to complete specific tasks such as setting reminders or placing phone calls, and have no ability to learn independently.

Yes, virtual assistants and AI similarly offer support and have the capabilities to take over repetitive tasks for you, but they’re not the same.
Some popular AI assistants include Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. If you bore witness to the powers of these tools, then you’ve experienced what an AI virtual assistant can do.

These advanced applications perform like a human personal assistant, placing phone calls, scheduling appointments and setting reminders.

Virtual assistants that are built using natural language processing can understand and analyze complex data. It gives them the ability to comprehend human language and come up with the best response.

What Are the AI Elements Used by Businesses?

There are several interesting angles that artificial intelligence can be viewed. And right now, we’re uncovering each one of them below, with a list of the main types of AI programs:

Natural Language Processing or NLP

Through NLP, users can interact with AI using human natural language and understand its full meaning without computer coding.
Deep Neural Networks or DNN

This functionality is very handy when automating human work tasks. It allows robots to recognize patterns in data, such as images or voice, and provide relevant responses.
Machine Learning

Another form of AI is machine learning, a tool that has the ability to learn, adapt and improve real-time data to score better responses over time. It teaches computers to think similarly to how humans do and imitate the way humans learn.
Natural Language Understanding or NLU

Through this feature, a program can read the meaning of words, phrases and context and understand the intentions, emotions and mood behind them.
Expert Systems

With expert system, a program that uses AI can simulate the rationale of a human being who has experience and expertise on a particular subject. This allows AI to offer advice based on preconceived knowledge.
Computer Vision

This field of AI copies the capabilities of a human brain to understand and process input images or videos, finding patterns in those visual data.

Why Do Businesses Use Artificial Intelligence?

To err is to be human. But AI isn’t human, it’s a robot that does not make mistakes, or rarely commits one. It runs like perfection, avoiding the tedious tasks of going back over completed tasks.

One of the two most enticing aspects of using AI is that its error-free and the other one would be speed.

While it may take some time for human writers to craft engaging blog posts, content AI writes lightning quick, and can produce articles in a matter of seconds.

So, don’t be surprised why businesses respond to AI technology positively, let's just say that going over the entire list of advantages would take some time to get through!

Will Virtual Assistant Be Replaced by AI?

Are you one of those people skeptical about trekking the path of modern tech? If you are, then are you having doubts because of its social and economic implications?

Well, there’s a reason to be daunted by the emergence of AI technology…when it could potentially displace humans in the workplace.

But while AI technology continues to dominate, we believe it’s still unlikely that human virtual assistants will be replaced in the workplace.

Now, Why Are Virtual Assistants Still Indispensable?

Well, human virtual assistants still edge out AIs because of the things that humans can do, that even the best of artificial intelligence technology cannot.

Can’t Make the Dream Work without “Teamwork”

Okay, chatbots are incredible, but they can’t replicate many human VA attributes that make them great for collaboration.

For starters, it’s hard to talk to AI agents. Now, this might seem small in a high-tech landscape, but when you’re playing for a team, communication is vital.

How are you going to coordinate remote teams across the globe in different time zones with multiple devices? With human virtual assistants, you can trust that you’re not losing that team synergy that makes the dream work.
Still Riddled with Error

We know, AI assistants boast of being error-free. While this might be true, it’s not always, especially with voice commands.

The truth is, AI agents can’t quite catch speech instructions correctly, even on the same platform. In language processing and voice decoding, human VAs are still unmatched.
AI Doesn’t Have Soft Skills, But Humans Do!

AI bots can do a hundred other things, but bringing soft skills into the picture will never be one of them.

Humans have personalities and motivations that enable them to form relationships. Conversely, AIs are machines that do not virtually understand any of those elements we just mentioned.

Yes, robots can speed through simple chores, but come to strategic tasks, only virtual human assistants have the reach to comprehend this business objective.
Without Data, AI Cannot Work.

If you think about it, AI possibilities are endless. Yet, there’s one thing that robots don’t have; human experiences and relationships.

Data is the central building block of AI. They can’t move forward without it.

So, you see, your Alexa or Cortana can’t exist without humans who are feeding the right data and prompting the commands.
That Irreplaceable Human Touch

Human touch goes beyond physical contact. It’s a universal language that speaks of empathy, deep understanding, emotion and connection, without verbal communication.

No matter how intelligent AIs are, they can’t replicate those profound qualities of human touch. Humans can shift their touch depending on the situation and the person with whom they’re engaging.

For all its tremendous potential, AI lacks the emotional intelligence to perceive social circumstances and modify its system to capture human personal sensitivities.

Weighing In: Human Virtual Assistants versus AI?

The significant impact of artificial intelligence is to augment human capabilities, and NOT to replace them.

So, why not consider combining the skills of human virtual assistants with that of artificial intelligence for businesses?

AI efficiency forces businesses to think outside of the box. By balancing the speed and accuracy of AI with human abilities, you can create a powerful blend that can shape innovation and productivity and actively optimize the growth of your company.