Hi,

I asked 100 CEOs this question, and here are the top 5 answers:

​ ​Chris Best is the CEO and founder of Substack, the new media app letting authors publish directly to their audiences

“Nothing. If you find yourself getting faster and more efficient at something that makes you less human, you’re doing it wrong.

Too many technologists are losing sight of a basic idea. They focus on what AI will be able to do on its own, instead of what people will be able to do with AI. This is an incredibly exciting frontier.
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We’re both a technology company and a culture company – our job is to work in service of the human beings who create the culture. We harness the power of technology to give them independence, a way to make money doing the work they believe in, and amazing creative tools.
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We’re enthusiastic about going faster in our mission, and giving ourselves and our customers superpowers. People can now make things they were never able to make before. They can discover and support the media, communities, and scenes that make meaning. Done right this makes us more human, not less.
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There are so many questions to answer as we build and explore, but we must remember that people are the point.”

​Romi Savova is founder and CEO at PensionBee, the online personal retirement savings provider.

“My opinion is that AI should enhance, not replace, human responsibility. In a regulated industry such as ours, explainability, strong governance and clear accountability must be built in from the start. When vulnerability or risk is involved, a real person remains fundamental to delivering the right outcome.
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It’s telling that our customer reviews invariably highlight our human [account managers] BeeKeepers – proof that, when it comes to their retirement savings, people still value personalised support when they need it most.
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That same philosophy shapes how we use AI internally. I believe technology shouldn’t just drive efficiency; it should create a better working environment and give our people more space to focus on high-value work, think creatively, and maintain a healthier work-life balance.

The future of pensions should be quicker and simpler, but still deeply human.”

​ ​James Mishreki is the founder of Skin+Me, and is currently building a new venture alongside dental industry leaders called S3 Sensitivity Science™

“Where judgement, trust and long-term direction matter most, I’m willing to sacrifice speed and efficiency.

I use AI daily to amplify my own efficiency, and I find it incredibly motivating. One recent life hack: I’ll take a long-form article, feed it into NotebookLM, and have it create a mini podcast that I can listen to while walking.
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AI is extraordinary at generating options quickly, but taste in terms of brand, design, language and product feel still needs humans. I’m happy to move slower if it means real debate, multiple perspectives and physical prototyping, rather than letting a model decide absolutely everything.
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Hiring is another area where human judgement is essential. AI can help with sourcing and admin, but an interview with a robot doesn’t tell you who someone really is, how they think under pressure, or how they’ll shape a culture.

The same applies to product testing. Real people using real products in real lives surface emotional reactions, abnormalities, and trust signals that don’t show up in datasets.”

​Richard de Meo is CEO and founder of Attara, the fintech company changing the landscape of commodity hedging for businesses across the UK

“Trust over speed. This decision has actually been made for us, because many of our customers are new to hedging solutions. Smaller businesses simply haven’t been privy to financial tools like commodity hedging until now, so the human touch provides essential reassurance to first-time customers.

An AI-automated customer journey might be more efficient, but a self-serve process would fall short of the trust and credibility thresholds required to do financial transactions. It’s because of technology that the market has been democratised, and when it comes to AI, we’re no longer relying on traders to make relationship management decisions but simply to front them.
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AI is evolving and narrowing human contribution at my company, however human traders are irreplaceable. Instead, human contact is distilled into shorter episodes of heavier contact. Our successful customer journeys will include video calls and in-person meetings with traders, but the timing and sequence is determined by AI. Tech not only helps us with awareness building, it also delivers customised education.

The human traders that clients need also need human support. The human cost of AI? Smaller teams in narrower roles, providing broader coverage. It's the opposite of what Jerry Maguire campaigned for, but it's a balanced coexistence where humans retain valued and unique contributions.”

​Amiad Soto is CEO of Guesty, the property rental management software for short-term rentals across over 100 countries

“In the hospitality industry, relationships matter – and judgement, trust, and accountability are areas where we’re not willing to sacrifice. Our customers rely on us not just for automation, but for partnership and expertise. If maximum efficiency ever risks weakening transparency or distancing us from the people we serve, we will deliberately slow down and choose the more human path.
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In our industry, there are a lot of administrative, and repetitive tasks that don’t define the human element of the business: answering guest questions, price adjustments, data collection, et cetera.
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We see AI as an amplifier, not a replacement, of human capability. We prioritise AI in areas where it removes repetitive work, reduces friction, and gives our teams and customers more time to focus on creativity, strategy, empathy, and service.
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Those that can strategically define which decisions should be left to automation and which should have the human touch, and design around those decisions will come out on top. The future we’re building is faster and more efficient – but it’s also more thoughtful, more creative, and ultimately more human.”

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Talk soon,

Steven

73 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3QQ
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