Most people think about AI wrong.
They see automation. Fewer workers. Job cuts.
And that’s terrifying — if that’s the only way to think about it.
But there’s another way: augmentation.
Not AI replacing you. AI amplifying you.
Same number of workers. More output. Better work.
Here’s why augmentation wins:
1. Adoption. When companies push automation, employees resist. No one wants to train their replacement.
But when companies push augmentation — AI as a tool to make you better — adoption goes up. Curiosity grows. Collaboration happens.
And companies reward this. According to PwC, AI-skilled workers earn 56% higher wages on average — and that premium is growing.
2. Human oversight. Full automation means AI makes mistakes with no one catching them.
Human-centered AI keeps a human in the loop. You catch errors before they become problems. You ensure decisions are fair. Systems become more reliable and trustworthy.
3. Job satisfaction. When AI automates everything, work satisfaction plummets. Your expertise feels irrelevant.
But when AI handles the tedious stuff and you focus on judgment and creativity? Satisfaction goes up. And so does productivity — 33% higher on average, according to a report by the Federal Reserve.
The bottom line:
AI isn’t coming for your job. It’s coming for the boring parts of your job.
The people who thrive will be the ones who learn to work with AI — not against it.
That’s Human-Centered AI (HCAI). And it’s worth learning.
Augment yourself,
Kirill
P.S. The work that inspired you to get into your field in the first place? AI can give you more time for that. If you let it.