Why human judgement matters in an increasingly automated world
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work. It can write emails, analyse information, generate ideas, solve problems and complete tasks in seconds that once took us hours.
And I'll admit, I've been impressed by what it can do. But the more capable it becomes, the more I find myself thinking about what we might be overlooking.
For many people, that's exciting. For others, it raises some uncomfortable questions about the future of work and where people will fit into it.
But there's another question I think deserves more attention.
Just because technology can do something, does that mean we should always let it?
An interesting change in perspective
In May 2026, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, acknowledged that AI hadn't displaced entry-level office workers as quickly as he had once expected.
Speaking at Commonwealth Bank's Accelerate AI event, he also shared something interesting about his own experience using AI.
He had experimented with using it to manage personal communications, including emails and workplace messages. Despite the convenience, he realised that some interactions were simply too important to hand over.
It highlighted something we don't always consider when discussing technological progress.
Being able to perform a task isn't necessarily the same as understanding its human significance.
An email might take only seconds to produce, but the relationship behind that email may have taken years to build.
And that matters.
By September, Altman was speaking about human responsibility on a much bigger stage. Addressing the United Nations Security Council, he emphasised that as AI becomes more powerful, people must remain in control, and that human judgement and values should not simply be automated.
It's an important distinction, particularly as the conversation moves beyond what technology can achieve to how we choose to use it.
The difference between having information and understanding people
Imagine a manager reviewing an employee's performance.
AI can help identify missed deadlines, compare results and highlight areas where performance has declined.
That's useful information.
But what if that employee is dealing with something difficult at home? What if expectations were unclear, or the workload has quietly become unmanageable?
The numbers alone won't necessarily tell the whole story.
A thoughtful manager might use the information AI provides, but still take the time to ask questions, listen and understand what's happening before deciding what to do next.
That's where human judgement becomes important.
It's not about rejecting technology. It's about recognising that information is only one part of making a good decision.
Are we becoming more capable, or simply more efficient?
As AI becomes part of everyday work, there's a natural temptation to measure its value by how much time it saves.
And there's nothing wrong with wanting to work more efficiently.
But efficiency doesn't automatically lead to better decisions, stronger relationships or more effective leadership.
We can respond to messages faster without really listening. We can generate impressive reports without fully understanding what the information means. We can have answers available instantly and gradually lose the habit of asking better questions.
This is worth paying attention to.
Because as technology takes on more tasks, we have an opportunity to become more deliberate about the abilities we continue to develop in ourselves.
Curiosity helps us question what we're being told. Discernment helps us recognise when something needs a closer look. Empathy reminds us that decisions affect real people. And courage helps us make difficult choices, even when the easiest option is sitting right in front of us.
These aren't new abilities.
But perhaps we've never had a better reason to strengthen them.
What happens when we stop learning by doing?
There's another side to this conversation that deserves attention, particularly for people entering the workforce.
In September 2026, the Australian HR Institute raised an interesting concern about the changing nature of entry-level work.
Many of the tasks traditionally given to younger employees, such as research, drafting documents and coordinating information, are increasingly being supported or completed by AI.
Some of those tasks may have seemed routine, but they also gave people opportunities to learn how an organisation works, develop experience and build professional judgement.
If technology takes over more of that work, how will the next generation develop those abilities?
It's a question worth considering.
The Australian HR Institute highlighted the importance of managers deliberately creating opportunities for younger employees to practise making decisions, understand why something works, receive feedback and learn through experience.
I think there's a valuable lesson here for leaders at every level.
When we remove a task to save time, we also need to consider whether we're removing an opportunity to learn.
Because knowing how to get an answer isn't quite the same as knowing what to do with it.
What this means for leadership
I believe one of the most important responsibilities of leadership in the coming years will be helping people use technology well without becoming overly dependent on it.
That means encouraging people to think critically, challenge assumptions and remain accountable for their decisions.
It also means creating opportunities for people to develop their judgement through experience, rather than simply accepting the first answer technology provides.
And recognising when a situation calls for a conversation rather than another automated response.
At Thrive Now Coaching Academy, much of our work focuses on helping people think clearly, communicate effectively and respond more deliberately, particularly when they're under pressure.
Technology can support that process. It can help us prepare, organise our thoughts and consider possibilities we might have overlooked.
But we still have to make choices about how we use that information and how we show up for the people around us.
AI is changing what people CAN do. Leadership must also consider what people SHOULD do, HOW they do it and WHY it matters.
The opportunity in front of us
The future of work will undoubtedly look different. Some roles will change, some will disappear and new opportunities will emerge.
We're already seeing signs of this shift. Research from Stanford University has identified growing employment challenges for younger workers in occupations highly exposed to AI, although the researchers caution that AI's role in those changes has not been conclusively established.
At the same time, broader research from Yale University has not yet found clear evidence of widespread AI-driven disruption across the labour market.
So there is still much we don't know about how this will unfold.
But perhaps that uncertainty gives us an even stronger reason to approach these changes thoughtfully.
We can be more intentional about the qualities we choose to develop alongside technology, and more aware of the opportunities we create for others to develop them too.
Perhaps the opportunity isn't simply to get more done in less time.
Perhaps it's also to use some of that time to think more deeply, listen more carefully, build stronger relationships and make better decisions.
Because while technology continues to expand what is possible, we still have a responsibility to decide what is worthwhile.
And that's something worth thinking about before we hand over the next task.
Sources and further reading
Commonwealth Bank — Sam Altman on closing the gap between AI technology and adoption (May 2026)
OpenAI — Sam Altman's remarks at the United Nations Security Council (September 2026)
Stanford Digital Economy Lab — Employment effects of AI (August 2026)
Yale University — Tracking the impact of AI on the labour market (October 2026)
