AI reproduces, Humans think

The verdict is in: no stratum of society, no sector or profession will be spared the impact of artificial intelligence. From simple recommendations to agentic AI, capable of booking, invoicing and planning without human intervention, from robotics in logistics to service professions... AI offers the promise of pinpoint productivity and augmented expertise. In logistics, the sacrosanct notion of ‘zero deadstock’ has been accomplished. Gone are the days of costly overstock sitting on shelves for months: AI manages replenishment. The right part, in the right place, at the right time. In the workshop, it does not replace the technician, it powers them. In bodywork, for example, AI-controlled articulated arms achieve micron-accurate paint thicknesses. It is also a response to labour shortages, even if the risk of standardising skills makes some people cringe. In terms of expertise, image analysis for used vehicle remarketing also generates more trust. AI detects, humans decide. But beware: when it comes to damage claims, AI goes no further than bodywork. Without the loss adjustor’s eye for internal damage, there is a real risk of cost underestimation. “It remains an aid for our technicians, who increase their productivity without compromising their expertise”, says François Delion, VP Global Aftersales at Renault Group, referring to the AI-powered tools provided to network technicians (predictive diagnostics, noise diagnostics, TechAssist, etc.). “AI can be deployed on a large scale and contributes significantly to business profitability if the dealer takes on the task. We make their job easier, but we don’t force them to use anything in particular, because these are not obligatory manufacturer standards, but just tools.”

From a social perspective, there is still the fear of being replaced, which raises questions about the future of jobs and people. Beyond knowing which jobs and qualifications are at stake, global apprehension is fuelled by announcements of massive layoffs that are both spectacular and anxiety-provoking (30,000 people at Amazon in the United States in 2025). However, some voices have rejected these fears, evoking a period of transition that would be a ‘degradation before reintegration’. Is it really more reassuring to predict an unavoidable hit to employment before more qualified profiles and new professions emerge? “People with expertise, vision and analytical skills have never been so indispensable!”, says Julien Ricciarelli. The consultant believes that AI does not “replace professions but redefines them. In this new era, the most successful professionals will not be those who make the best use of AI, but those whose expertise remains indispensable even after AI. The future does not belong to the fastest, but to the most accurate. Not to the most visible, but to the most credible. Not to those who take centre stage, but to those who hold up the structure... The difference between a professional and an executor has never been clearer. A professional thinks, chooses, decides, takes responsibility. An executor applies, copies, reproduces... which is what AI does. It reproduces. Humans think.” Hearing that should at least make us humans feel better.