{
  "id": 12377574,
  "title": "People will be your competitive advantage",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/people-will-be-your-competitive-advantage",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-06T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91617580/people-will-be-your-competitive-advantage"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Many companies are making a critical error by treating artificial intelligence primarily as a means to reduce their workforce, rather than recognizing the opportunity to innovate how people and technology can collaborate. AI can streamline tasks previously requiring large teams, such as candidate screening and employee support. However, the real opportunity lies in reimagining the organization to thrive in the AI era.\n\nSteve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, highlighted the importance of connection among team members, regardless of their individual circumstances. Similarly, in business, people strategy is as crucial as any other business strategy. It bridges the company's objectives with the daily operations of its workforce, encompassing aspects like culture, structure, decision-making, leadership behaviors, and processes.\n\nA CEO should have a trusted partner—a people strategist—who brings deep knowledge of people and organizations to align business priorities with the necessary talent, culture, structure, and working methods. This strategist is not limited to overseeing compensation, recruiting, benefits, or employee relations; they must also grasp the business model, strategy, and how various departments interact.\n\nInstead of simply identifying which tasks AI can automate, companies should focus on the problems they aim to solve and the value they aim to create. They should then determine which tasks technology should handle and which require human intervention. This approach may lead to organizations structured differently, with teams focused on specific challenges and a mix of full-time employees, independent experts, consultants, partners, and technology, all tailored to the task at hand.\n\nBy reframing work in this manner, companies can transcend the limitations of traditional job descriptions and embrace a more dynamic, adaptable structure. This shift is particularly relevant in the current climate, where the pandemic forced many companies to reorganize after moving employees from the office to remote work. AI presents another chance to revolutionize how work is conducted, rather than merely adding technology to existing processes.\n\nUltimately, as AI becomes more prevalent, the differentiator for companies will not be the technology itself, but the way people utilize it. People contribute unique qualities such as judgment, curiosity, creativity, relationships, and contextual understanding. They excel at seeing connections others miss and combining ideas with technology to innovate. As AI becomes ubiquitous, the companies that succeed will be those with robust people strategies, effectively leveraging their workforce to create something unprecedented.",
  "summary": "One of the biggest mistakes companies are making with AI is treating it primarily as a way to reduce talent, rather than as an opportunity to rethink how people and technology can work together. The temptation is understandable, as AI can automate work and take on tasks that once required large teams. Increasingly, HR has become an obvious place to focus on staffing reductions. AI can screen…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}