How AI can enhance the role of Virtual Assistants

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual assistants (VAs) stand to gain immensely from these advancements. To be clear, AI is not about replacing human expertise but rather, the use of AI tools can complement the work of VAs by streamlining workflows, enhancing productivity, and enabling them to focus on higher value tasks.

One such way that AI can benefit VAs is through automation. As someone who has worked in administration in fast-paced and innovative industries for many years, tasks like data entry, scheduling appointments, or sorting emails can become pretty repetitive and take up a lot of time in a regular work day. With the various AI-powered tools available, AI can handle these tasks, freeing up time for VAs to concentrate on more strategic responsibilities. For instance, scheduling assistants like Calendly, make coordinating meetings seamless and hassle-free.

AI also empowers VAs to deliver better results with fewer resources. Tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT (my personal favorite) can assist in drafting polished emails, creating engaging content, and refining communications, reducing the time spent on manual proofreading and editing. Furthermore, data analysis is made easy with AI, helping VAs to extract insights from reports, thereby enabling them to provide more informed recommendations to clients.

Finally, AI allows VAs to expand their skillset. With access to platforms that provide training in areas like graphic design, social media management, or advanced analytics, VAs can upskill and remain competitive in an evolving market.

In conclusion, AI isn’t here to replace virtual assistants—it’s here to enhance their roles. By embracing AI, VAs can work smarter, not harder, providing even greater value to their clients and thriving in the digital age. If you might have reservations, or feel intimidated about AI or feel that it might be an additional burden to your daily workflow, there are several workshops and/or training sessions that you can subscribe to. I can say with confidence that it will be worth it!