Human-Centric Services - Time for an AI-led Shake Up?
Dec 6, 2024
The Challenge of Accessing Human Services
Often, people can't access help simply because their personal and professional networks lack the relevant expertise. Professional support has been prohibitively expensive for many, as the services are typically delivered face-to-face and one-on-one. This has severely limited technology’s impact to date in driving up productivity and lowering the cost of delivery.
Whether it's therapy, coaching, or tradesperson services, the cost and availability of human-centric services remain significant barriers for many.
One-to-Many Solutions Fall Short
When direct support isn’t an option, people often turn to self-help books, apps, classes, or videos. While these tools broaden access and provide value, they fall short in areas where personalised, two-way interaction is critical. Many users of self-guided approaches struggle to implement what they’ve learned, and certain needs — like situational advice, creative input, emotional support, or motivation — simply require a human touch.
This gap between scalable, affordable resources and personalised human services represents a significant opportunity for innovation.
Technology Can Unlock Affordable Human Support
Tech alone can’t fully replace human support, but it can complement it, making human-centric services more accessible by streamlining workflows and allowing the human service provider to focus on the core value-add part of the service.
For example, imagine a platform where householders are seeking a tradesman to fix a sink. The householder has only provided a photo of the damage and a time to call them. A well-crafted ‘Plumber AI’ could then follow up by asking the householder to confirm the make of the tap, where the leak is occurring, what size nut is securing it to the sink, if there is a clearance issue, guide them to take more pictures, and then check the plumber's diary and schedule a visit, all without the plumber themselves having to interact with the householder until they are actually on site. Once on-site, they can empathise with the homeowner on the emotional trauma the leak has caused them and then concentrate on the job itself to deliver an outstanding full service.
Well-integrated tech can streamline non-essential human tasks, thereby reducing costs while maintaining the crucial personalised service experience touch points.
The Rise of Tech-Enhanced Human Services
A new wave of innovation is reshaping human services with the rise of Tech-Enhanced Human Services (TEHS). These services blend human expertise with technological efficiency, amplifying the impact of traditionally human-led industries such as transportation, legal advice, and accountancy.
The first wave of innovation involved productising repeatable, process-driven services. Think of platforms like Xero, Rocket Lawyer, or Uber, which used technology to simplify and scale what were previously manual services.
The second wave is more transformative, driven by advancements in AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. These tools enable technology to support "fuzzier" services — areas where emotional intelligence and human response play a pivotal role. Therapy, customer support, and coaching are just a few examples where LLMs are making inroads, helping scale these services without losing the human connection.
The Future
The historically one-to-one nature of human services has made productivity gains elusive. However, the emergence of on-demand, cloud-based AI is upending this status quo. By automating repetitive tasks and enhancing the delivery of complex, emotionally driven services, AI has the potential to make human-centric support more accessible and affordable than ever.
For businesses, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. Companies must evaluate where emerging technologies like AI can improve workflows, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. Those that fail to adapt risk losing ground to competitors who will inevitably embrace these tools.
The future of human services lies in this seamless partnership between human empathy and technological precision. The businesses that get this balance right will lead the way in creating affordable, scalable, and impactful services that truly centre around human needs.