Robots and AI: Better Employees or a Necessity?

Job Market Reality: My Experience

As a business owner, I was looking for employees to handle simple tasks—flexible hours, assignments like writing emails or calling clients to reschedule appointments. The requirements? Knowledge of the company’s offerings and proficiency in Polish. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, the reality was different.

I received about 50 applications, almost all from candidates in India, despite the fact that Polish language skills were a key requirement. How many Polish candidates applied? Just two. I gave up. I ended up handling everything myself until I finally decided to try using AI.

Today, AI manages my emails, confirms appointments, and answers calls for me. I don’t have to pay anyone extra (I once considered offering 25% of the profits from clients brought in by such an employee). There are no delays, and tasks are always completed on time. Yes, the AI needs some assistance from me, but it never complains or asks for additional breaks. As a result, I’m more efficient and have more time to grow my business.

Cleaning: Is a Robot Better than a Human?

Finding employees didn’t end with office tasks. For months, I tried to hire someone to clean my apartment. I saw offers with rates ranging from 20-25 PLN per hour, and for “one-off cleaning,” even 60 PLN for a four-hour session. The problem? Either I had to supervise the work closely, or I ended up paying for services that didn’t meet my standards.

I found one person through a recommendation. They came once. Then they went away for a month without informing me when they’d be back. Another candidate quit because there was no parking in front of the building—they had to park on the street. For three months, I was back to spending time on cleaning tasks that I could have otherwise used for work.

The solution? We bought a robot vacuum cleaner. It vacuums and mops the floors at the same time. Cleaning the floors was the most time-consuming task, so the machine took over. I handle the bathroom and kitchen myself—an hour of work I can manage—but the robot handles the floors. The result? A clean home, time saved, and no headaches from dealing with cleaning staff.

Are Robots Really “Taking” Jobs?

When we start complaining that robots and AI are taking people’s jobs, let’s remember why this is happening. Often, it’s us, the employers, who are forced to choose technology because finding the right people has become impossible. It’s not just about saving money—it’s about convenience, quality, and efficiency. In a world where it’s hard to find someone who shows up on time, does the job without complaining, and doesn’t have extra demands, robots and AI turn out to be simply the better choice.

So, the next time you hear that “robots are taking jobs,” ask yourself if it’s really the robots—or if people gave up on those jobs first.