The UK government’s recent partnership with Anthropic to integrate AI into public services raises a familiar question: will AI replace human professionals, or will it enhance their expertise? As a senior content designer with experience on major government digital projects since 2012, I’ve seen countless waves of digital transformation, each promising to make public services more efficient. Yet, every time, the same unease emerges: what happens to the highly skilled professionals already doing this work?

This is the same anxiety that Executive PAs, office managers, and other management support professionals feel when AI is introduced into their roles. I’m old enough to remember speaking at management support conferences in the 1990s with themes like “There will be no more secretaries by 2000”. These concerns are not new, but they are nevertheless a valid concern. If AI can draft reports, summnarise meetings, and even generate content for government websites, what role do humans have in the future of public service delivery?

The case for concern

The announcement that the UK government is bringing in AI to “improve” public services suggests that AI can do something humans cannot. This is unsettling, especially for those of us who have spent years refining the art of clear, accessible, user-centred communication. AI might be able to process vast amounts of data at lightning speed, but can it truly understand human needs, cultural nuances, and the ethical implications of its outputs?

In management support roles, AI is already handling calendar management, travel bookings, and even email responses. Content specialists face a similar challenge: AI can generate content based on vast datasets, but does it understand tone, intent, and the real-life consequences of unclear or misleading information?

Writing

About two years ago, I wrote the national drink and needle spiking advice and information service for Police.UK, the website used by 82% of police forces in England and Wales. I also worked on other services, including domestic violence. It required the utmost empathy with victims and the people around them. It was trauma-led writing that was utterly harrowing at times.

Luckily, it paid off. Victim support organisations and other stakeholders praised my work as striking exactly the right tone of voice and putting the victim in charge throughout. Naturally, I wonder if AI could have done a better job, shown the same trauma-informed, empathetic approach. Or could have made the job easier for me, by automating the traumatising research for example.

AI, as it stands, is a tool, not a replacement. But that doesn’t mean our roles won’t change significantly. The question isn’t just whether AI will take over, but how we can adapt and remain essential.

The case for strategy

Rather than viewing AI as an existential threat, we should see it as an evolving workplace reality. The key to staying relevant is to focus on what AI lacks:

• Human judgment and ethics – AI can generate content, but it doesn’t have the ethical reasoning that humans do. In public services, where accessibility, inclusion, and plain language are essential, human oversight is irreplaceable.
• Emotional intelligence – AI can schedule meetings, but it can’t read between the lines of a tense email exchange or defuse a difficult conversation with diplomacy. The same applies to content: it can generate words, but it doesn’t understand the weight those words carry.
• Strategic thinking – AI can process and predict, but it doesn’t have the lived experience to make strategic decisions about what will resonate with an audience or what risks need to be considered before publishing content.

How to stay relevant in an AI-driven workplace

• Become the AI interpreter – Understanding AI’s strengths and weaknesses will be crucial. Whether you’re a content specialist or an Executive PA, being the person who knows when AI is useful – and when  needs human intervention – makes you indispensable.
• Focus on high-level skills – AI can automate routine tasks, but it struggles with complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal relationships. These are the areas to invest in.
• Advocate for ethical AI use – Governments and corporations will continue integrating AI, but they need human professionals to guide these implementations responsibly. Becoming a voice for ethical AI adoption in your field can position you as a leader rather than a replaceable worker.

The future is human + AI

AI isn’t going anywhere, but neither are the professionals who ensure that digital transformation serves real people. Whether in public service content design or high-level executive support, our expertise, judgment, and humanity remain essential. The smartest professionals won’t just resist AI; they’ll learn to work alongside it, proving that while machines can process, predict, and produce, they still need us to lead the way.

My overwhelming concern remains that executives – already shown to be key adopters of AI technology – will see AI as way quick way to cut costs. That they will be overly confident in their critical thinking skills, their ability to spot potential reputational damage or costly financial howlers or even subtle but critical errors in AI output. That they will assume that it’s just a matter of time until AI can tell fact from fiction, opinion from reality.

It is up to us to make that business case now – sooner rather than later – for a human layer of critical thinking expertly trained to vet AI output. Managers don’t have the time or the focus to do it. That’s where there is a real opportunity for management support professionals. Over to you!