The answer depends on the task. A person and a software system have different capabilities and cost structures. Define the work you need done before comparing options.
When to hire a person
A part-time hire makes sense for on-site work, personal customer contact, manual tasks and situations requiring ongoing judgement and accountability. A person can also handle exceptions that automation cannot assess safely.
Include pay, applicable employment costs, training, supervision and quality checks. Use a real quote and the current rules in your location, not a generic hourly rate from an article.
When to try automation or AI
Software helps with repeatable digital steps that have available inputs and verifiable outcomes: sorting messages, finding information in documents or drafting a reply. Simple fixed rules often need only conventional automation. AI is most useful when the input varies too much for fixed rules.
Include setup, integrations, model usage, hosting, response review, maintenance and the cost of errors. More requests can increase operating costs. Service outside business hours still needs monitoring and a route to a person.
How to compare the options
- Pick one process and measure case volume, handling time and error rate.
- Separate routine work from exceptions requiring human judgement.
- Estimate total monthly cost for each option, including oversight and corrections.
- For AI, run a small pilot and measure accuracy, time and handovers to a person.
Worked example: 300 emails a month
This is an illustration, not a client result. If a person handles each email in 4 minutes, 300 emails take 20 hours. Suppose a pilot finds that AI handles 60% correctly without intervention, 25% need a 2-minute review and 15% go to a person for the full 4 minutes. Human handling then takes 5.5 hours. Add, for example, 1.5 hours a month for monitoring: the saving is 13 hours, not 20.
At an all-in labour cost of CZK 300 per hour, those 13 hours are worth CZK 3,900 a month. Subtract AI operating costs and amortise the initial setup. A pilot using your own cases must confirm the actual correct-answer rate, review time and costs. If the system makes more mistakes, a person or simpler automation may be the better choice.
If inputs are ambiguous or a mistake could harm a customer, keep human approval. A combination can work well: software prepares the information and a person handles unusual cases.
Want to assess a specific process? Explore AI agents or an audit of your existing project, then get in touch. I can help define what to measure before you decide.
I build AI solutions for businesses — from chatbots to knowledge systems. I write about what actually works, no buzzwords. More about me →