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Choosing between a human Virtual Assistant vs. AI solutions is a relatively new concern for business owners. After ChatGPT was publicly launched in November 2022, people started to realise the real potential of AI (especially generative AI) in business.

But can AI really replace the work of a human virtual assistant?

Each offers unique strengths, but knowing which one suits your needs can make all the difference. In this article, we’ll explore the unique roles, capabilities, and impacts of Human Virtual Assistants versus AI.

👉 Related: Virtual Assistant Jobs in 2024: Remote Staff Interview

When hiring a human Virtual Assistant (VA)

Recruiter Specialist Abigail Kerr takes time to interview our virtual assistant applicants to verify they are client-ready.

Hiring a human Virtual Assistant comes with a host of benefits that AI can’t fully replicate at this time.

Here’s why a VA might be the best choice for your business:

1. Personal Touch and Emotional Intelligence

When it comes to empathy, understanding, and personal interaction, human VAs definitely surpass AI.

While generative AI responses can sound friendly (if not straightforward), human virtual assistants can:

  • read the nuances in communication
  • understand the context behind requests
  • and build a rapport with clients and team members.

This is crucial for tasks that require a personal touch, such as customer service, handling sensitive information, or managing personal schedules.

Even ChatGPT’s initial output requires editing for a personal touch, which you can get from a seasoned virtual assistant!

👉 Related: Free ChatGPT Marketing Cheat Sheet

2. Flexibility and Adaptability

Human VAs can adapt to changing situations and priorities with ease. Whether it’s:

  • adjusting to sudden changes in your schedule
  • handling unexpected tasks
  • or coming up with creative solutions to unique problems

human assistants can provide the flexibility that rigid AI systems may lack because they’re programmed to behave a certain way.

Outsourcing Angel sponsors fun together activities for our VAs living in the same area (photo from four South Luzon Filipino VAs in May 2024 at New Lasema Spa).

3. Complex Problem Solving

While AI can process data and provide solutions based on algorithms, particularly reliable VAs excel in tackling more complex, non-standard problems that require critical thinking and a deeper understanding of context.

Thanks to this capacity, they can contribute to businesses as skilled workers by:

  • offering insights
  • making judgment calls
  • and managing multifaceted projects that go beyond simple, repetitive tasks.

4. Cultural and Social Understanding

A human VA understands cultural nuances, social etiquette, and business norms, which is invaluable in global communication and networking.

They can help craft messages that are culturally sensitive and appropriate, ensuring effective and respectful communication with international clients and partners 💼

Of course, if you outsource to a VA overseas, there might be cultural differences that can impact communication and understanding. These differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or misaligned expectations.

However, you can mitigate these issues by opting for nearshore outsourcing, where cultural and time zone differences are less pronounced.

For example, an Australian business hiring a Filipino VA is considered a nearshore option. The Philippines has a strong cultural affinity with Western countries, and English is widely spoken. Additionally, the time difference is minimal, making real-time collaboration more feasible.

👉 Related: Top 7 Reasons Why Australian Companies Outsource to the Philippines

Filipino VAs are known for their excellent work ethic, adaptability, and strong communication skills. This makes them a valuable asset for Australian businesses looking to expand their workforce—without significant cultural or logistical barriers 👏

5. Proactive Support

Most AI tools need prompts to take action, but human VAs can anticipate needs and act proactively!

They can suggest improvements, identify potential issues before they arise, and offer support that goes beyond the reactive capabilities of AI. This proactive approach can lead to enhanced productivity and smoother business operations 👌

Limitations of a Human VA

While highly capable, VAs are inherently limited by their availability and potential human error, which can impact scalability and consistency in tasks.

Finding VAs for your particular business is a matter of fit, and is always a case-by-case basis. However, human VAs have the capacity to grow and upskill, which means they can continuously improve and adapt to meet the evolving needs of your business.

With AI, what you see is what you get until engineers release an update or until you can come up with better prompts, meaning there is less room for dynamic growth and adaptation 🤷

👉 Related: 10 Must-Have Skills of a Virtual Assistant

When opting for AI solutions

AI solutions, on the other hand, bring their own set of advantages to the table. Unlike human VAs, AI systems are not limited by fatigue or time zones, making them ideal for businesses looking to scale quickly and handle high volumes of repetitive tasks.

Here’s how AI can give your business a competitive edge:

1. Efficiency and Speed

AI can process large amounts of data much quicker and perform repetitive tasks without fatigue. This makes AI especially ideal for:

  • data entry
  • Scheduling
  • and other routine tasks that require speed and accuracy.

👉 Related: Top 5 Business Automation Tools in 2024 | Automation Strategy

2. 24/7 Availability

Unlike human VAs, AI systems can operate around the clock without needing breaks. This ensures that some of your business processes can continue smoothly even outside regular working hours ⌚

This perk is especially beneficial for content writer virtual assistant tasks. Since AI systems don’t experience creative blocks, they can produce written content upon demand. However, the quality and consistency of the final output will only be as good as your prompt and editing work.

3. Scalability

AI solutions can easily scale with your business needs. Whether you need to handle increased customer inquiries, process more transactions, or manage larger datasets, AI can scale up alongside your needs without the limitations of human capacity 👌

4. Data Analysis and Insights

AI excels in analysing huge amounts of data. It can:

  • identify patterns
  • generate reports
  • and offer data-driven recommendations.

This can serve as a starting point for actionable business insights and even inform your final business decisions and strategies! 👍

Limitations of AI

Despite advancements, AI may struggle with tasks requiring human judgment, creativity, and understanding of complex, non-routine situations.

AI systems are excellent at processing large amounts of data and handling repetitive tasks, but they lack the ability to fully comprehend context, emotional nuances, and cultural subtleties. For example, AI might misinterpret a sarcastic comment or fail to provide the empathetic response needed in a customer service scenario 😬

And remember, AI operates strictly within the parameters set by its programming, meaning it can’t adapt or think outside the box in the same way a human can. This can be a significant drawback in dynamic business environments where flexibility and innovative problem-solving are crucial.

Choosing the right solution for your business

When deciding between virtual assistants and AI for your needs, consider these 5 factors:

What is the nature of the tasks?

Determine whether your tasks require human judgment, emotional intelligence, or if they can be automated based on data-driven rules.

For tasks needing more human judgment and emotional intelligence rather than just routine, data-driven output, a virtual assistant is a better choice.

👉 Related: What tasks can VAs do for your business?

How do cost and scalability impact your decision?

Assess the financial implications of hiring VAs versus investing in AI solutions, considering long-term scalability and return on investment (ROI).

If you’re looking for scalability and lower long-term costs, AI is a better choice. But if you need more personalised services and if your tasks require more flexibility, a virtual assistant might be ideal.

What level of complexity and innovation is needed?

Evaluate the need for innovation and adaptability in your tasks. AI evolves rapidly, which means you can get cutting-edge technical solutions, while human VAs bring a more “outside of the box” approach to problem-solving.

So if you find yourself with lots of innovative tasks that require creative solutions, a virtual assistant might be a better choice.

How important is personal interaction in your tasks?

Consider the importance of building relationships and providing a personal touch in your business operations. Is it an area that greatly affects your bottom line?

For tasks that involve:

a virtual assistant is the better choice. For tasks that do not require much personal interaction, AI can be more efficient for you.

What is your timeline for implementation?

Think about how quickly you need to deploy the solution and how much time you can invest in training and setup. If you need a quick setup with minimal training, AI is preferable.

For a tailored approach that may require some initial training but offers higher flexibility, a virtual assistant for your business is more ideal.

AI can boost your virtual assistant services

Choosing between a human virtual assistant and AI depends on your specific business needs. However, since most tasks worth outsourcing require personal interaction, empathy, and complex problem-solving, a human VA is still the more beneficial choice.

Human VAs bring a unique ability to understand context, provide a personal touch, and adapt to dynamic situations, making them essential for more creative problem-solving in customer service, relationship building, and more 💪

Another effective approach is a hybrid model leveraging both AI and human VAs. AI can boost your virtual assistant services if your chosen VA is adept at new AI tools that are currently available!

Book a free Discovery Call

You can work with a proactive VA without the hassle of posting job ads, checking references, or going through resumes. Our team’s got that all covered for you!

Book a free Discovery Call with us today to see if our virtual assistant services fit your needs.

Arielle Calanas

Arielle is Outsourcing Angel’s resident copywriter. She has over 9 years of writing experience and graduated magna cum laude in Creative Writing from the University of the Philippines Mindanao in 2019. Currently, she crafts high-engagement content that reflects our brand voice, from client case studies to blog articles and more.