Why Automated Interns aka #AI might just be the future of work for us all…

8 min readNov 1, 2024

I had the joy of doing a keynote about AI and the future of work for the commshero conference. For its 10th birthday celebration. At a packed event where we dove into a topic that’s transforming the future of work.

And no my AI didn’t write my presentation for or with me.

I did this all by myself. But in the talk I gave I discussed how A.I. powered by technologies like GPT. And how using these technologies really is a superpower for productivity. Just like using a tractor, would have been amazing at the start of the industrial or farming revolution. So being able to build your own GPT’s and use their AI (Artificial intelligence or as I now like to call it — to create….

“AI aka “Automated Interns (™)”” (Dan Sodergren 2024)

These AI tools aren’t just here to automate tasks — they’re here to collaborate with us, making our work lives more efficient, more creative, and more human-centered. As we look toward 2025, I’m calling it now:

“2025 will be the year of the AI agent.” (Dan Sodergren 2024)

Tools like GPT-based AI — used to create — “Automated Interns”, if you will — are going to become indispensable across industries. From internal communications to customer service, and from data analysis to creative brainstorming, these AI agents are already reshaping how we work.

But here’s the thing: AI can’t do it alone. As they are just interns. They need us — humans equipped with Emotional Intelligence (EI) — to guide them, teach them, and collaborate with them to unlock their full potential.

In this edition of the newsletter, I’ll dive into how Automated Interns are the future of work, why synergy between humans and AI is the key to success, and how 2025 is set to be the Year of the AI Agent.

Automated Interns: Your AI-Powered Wingman

First, let’s talk about what I mean by an Automated Intern. Imagine having an AI-powered assistant, like GPT, that can handle all the repetitive, mundane tasks that eat up your time. These AI agents can summarize reports, answer questions, draft content, analyze data, and even handle customer queries. They’re smart, adaptable, and can learn over time — just like a human intern.

But here’s the difference: Automated Interns never get tired, they don’t need coffee breaks, and they can process vast amounts of information in seconds. They can take on the heavy lifting of data-driven tasks, freeing you up to focus on what you do best — creative problem-solving, team leadership, and emotional connection.

Think of them as your AI-powered wingman — always ready to assist, but still needing your emotional intelligence and human insight to steer them in the right direction. Which is what I talked about at CommsHero.

AI + Emotional Intelligence = The Future

Here’s the kicker: AI tools, like GPT-based Automated Interns, are incredibly powerful, but they’re still just tools. They can process data at lightning speed, but they don’t understand context, emotion, or intent the way humans do. That’s where you come in.

AI needs Emotional Intelligence (EI) to be truly effective. They might be able to churn out a quick report, but they need your emotional intelligence to understand how to communicate that information in a way that resonates with your team, your clients, or your audience.

For example, an AI could help you draft an email, but it’s your empathy and understanding of human emotions that will help you tweak the tone, ensuring the message is clear, compassionate, and motivating.

In internal communications, AI can help streamline workflows, but they can’t replace the human touch needed for building relationships, fostering team culture, or handling delicate issues. That’s why synergy is so important — the future of work is about collaboration between humans and AI, where each brings unique strengths to the table.

2025: The Year of the AI Agent

So why am I calling 2025 The Year of the AI Agent? It’s simple: AI agents are about to go mainstream. We’re already seeing a massive rise in the use of GPT-powered tools across industries, and this trend is only going to accelerate. By 2025, these tools will be as common as email or Slack.

Here’s how AI agents will shape the workplace in 2025:

Automating Routine Tasks: AI agents will take over repetitive tasks like scheduling, data entry, and basic customer service. This will free up human workers to focus on higher-level work, like strategy, creativity, and relationship-building.
Assisting in Creative Work: Need to brainstorm new ideas? Draft a blog post? AI agents can help generate ideas, draft content, and even suggest improvements. But they’ll still need your creativity and emotional insight to turn those ideas into something truly unique.
Enhancing Internal Communications: AI agents will help streamline internal communications, ensuring that messages are sent at the right time, to the right people, with the right information. But human oversight will still be crucial to ensure that empathy and emotional context are woven into every message.
AI Agents as Co-Pilots: In 2025, AI agents will act more like co-pilots than mere tools. They’ll assist you, provide insights, and handle the heavy lifting, but you’ll still be in the driver’s seat. Your emotional intelligence will guide the AI to ensure it’s making decisions that align with your team’s goals and values.

How to Get the Most Out of Automated Interns

So how can you start preparing for the Year of the AI Agent? Here are a few ways to get the most out of these Automated Interns:

Embrace AI Tools Now: Start familiarizing yourself with GPT-based AI agents and other AI tools. The more you understand how these tools work, the better you’ll be able to collaborate with them in the future. If you haven’t learnt about how to get the most from your AI come on my course ASAP.
Focus on Emotional Intelligence: AI agents can handle the technical stuff, but they still need you to bring the human touch. Develop your emotional intelligence — your ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others.
Adopt a Growth Mindset: The workplace is going to change rapidly, and the most successful people will be those who are willing to adapt, learn new tools, and evolve alongside AI.
Leverage AI for Creative Work: Don’t just use AI to automate tasks — use it to enhance your creativity. AI agents can generate ideas, help you brainstorm, and provide new perspectives, but you’ll need to bring your human insight to bring those ideas to life.

The Fifth Industrial Revolution: Humans + AI = Synergy

As we enter the fifth industrial revolution, the workplace will be defined by synergy between humans and AIs. These Automated Interns will take on the repetitive, data-driven tasks, allowing us to focus on the work that requires creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

2025 will be the year of the AI agent, but it will also be the year that humans shine. By collaborating with AI, we’ll be able to achieve more than ever before, creating workplaces that are more efficient, more innovative, and more human-centred.

So, what does this all mean for you? It means that the future of work isn’t about choosing between humans and machines — it’s about working together. AI agents like GPT-based Automated Interns are going to become an essential part of how we work, but they’ll still need us — our empathy, our creativity, and our emotional intelligence. Yes, we need to learn how to build GPT’s… If you don’t know already. But building them is just the first step…

As my AI intern puts it: “2025 will be the Year of the AI Agent, but it will also be the year that humans learn to collaborate with AI in new and exciting ways. The future is all about synergy — and that’s something we can all get excited about.”

Thanks for reading, especially if you are new to my newsletter and came to the Commshero event — welcome onboard. I really loved making the keynote for you all and being part of the event — I blogged about it here and posted on LinkedIn too.

I really do look forward to exploring more about the future of work with you ALL in the coming months. Stay tuned for more insights on how AI and Emotional Intelligence will shape the workplace of tomorrow.

Next time, we are going to be thinking more about Organisational Intelligence and what this might mean for you too in 2025.

Here’s to you and yours (and my holiday and my Automated Interns)

Yours

Dan Sodergren

dansodergren.com

FAQ

Q: What are Automated Interns? A: Automated Interns are AI-powered assistants (like GPT-based agents) that can handle repetitive tasks, generate content, and assist with data-heavy work. They free up humans to focus on more creative, strategic, and emotionally-driven tasks.

Q: Will AI agents replace me? A: AI agents won’t replace you, but they will take over repetitive, mundane tasks. This frees you up to focus on higher-level work like strategy, creativity, and emotional connection — things AI can’t do.

Q: How should I prepare for the Year of the AI Agent? A: Start by familiarizing yourself with AI tools like GPT, and focus on developing your emotional intelligence. Maybe start to think differently about leadership too — if you are a leader. The thing to remember is that AI agents will handle many different technical tasks, but we humans still need to provide creativity, empathy, and human insight.

Q: What industries will AI agents impact the most? A: AI agents will impact virtually every industry, but expect major transformations in areas like internal communications, customer service, marketing, and data analysis.