Fears of job disruption have loomed ever since ChatGPT’s release, but the data doesn’t yet back it up.
In Philadelphia, many tech and business leaders, including those who embrace AI tools, like we do at Kommunity, remain dedicated to the importance of hiring and working with real people. One reason: Human interaction offers things today’s AI tools just can’t offer, said Wilftek senior IP attorney Joshua Waterston.
“Generative AI can analyze and summarize data efficiently, and usually accurately. But it can’t replace human interaction and understanding,” Waterston told me.
“Generative AI can analyze and summarize data efficiently, and usually accurately. But it can’t replace human interaction and understanding.”
Joshua Waterson, Wilftek
He described the need to strike exactly the right tone when communicating with his clients, and was skeptical that AI tools could do it, at least in their current iteration. “AI lacks that human touch,” he said. “Think of how much you enjoy talking to a customer service AI bot before hopefully reaching a person.”
And so far, the broader US labor market has remained relatively stable. An October 2025 analysis from the Yale Budget Lab says knowledge workers in fields like computer engineering, media, business and finance are vulnerable to AI disruption, but there’s not yet any indication it’s happening.
“Currently, measures of [AI] exposure, automation and augmentation show no sign of being related to changes in employment or unemployment,” the Yale report says.
At Kommunity, our developer uses AI to boost productivity, and I use it to quickly grasp technical aspects of product development that would otherwise take me much longer to understand. Overall, we see AI as a way to fundamentally improve how people connect with one another — and that’s what our company is all about.
As a B2B lead-generation platform, we believe in-person events remain one of the most powerful ways to build real relationships and meet new clients. We’re using AI to create a system that helps founders identify their ideal customer profiles (ICP), discover relevant industry events attended by people with that ICP, and then invite those prospects to join them in real life. The goal is turning digital matches into meaningful IRL connections.
Staying ahead while considering long-term impact
Ultimately, I view AI as a bridge that helps us communicate better, share ideas more effectively and access resources that once felt out of reach.
Where I see the biggest need, for both startups and enterprises, is in creating real opportunities for people to learn about AI and how to use it in their daily work. As a founder, I feel a constant sense of urgency: AI is accelerating technology and product development so rapidly that startups can become obsolete and lose market share faster than ever before.
I think about this almost every day: How will Kommunity stay relevant in 10 years? How are we truly innovating? How can my team and I use AI to genuinely improve other people’s lives? What biases or downsides might we have to navigate as we try to do this?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I believe these questions are worth wrestling with. So does my friend Namrata Kamdar.
She’s the founder of Testlify, a Philadelphia-based talent assessment platform that uses AI to help companies hire and build effective teams. She noted that AI tools don’t just appear out of thin air.
“AI reflects the intent of those who build it,” Kamdar told me. “The moral compass lies not in the algorithm, but in the people training and deploying it. Transparency, fairness and human oversight are non-negotiable if we want technology that earns trust and drives progress.”
It seems to me that many startups chase trending narratives without deeply considering the long-term positive and negative impacts of their technology, whether on end users, employees, partners or society at large.
AI training is key to equitable opportunity
When it comes to AI eventually taking over certain roles, I keep hearing the same refrain in tech circles: “People will need to adapt to AI and find ways to stay useful.”
But how are they supposed to do that when almost no one is offering accessible training or opportunities to learn? Here in Philadelphia, there are groups working hard to position the city as an AI hub, particularly for B2B applied AI solutions.
Yet, to my knowledge, there’s no broad, coordinated effort to educate all residents, even at a basic level, on how to use AI so they aren’t left behind.
We need city-wide initiatives that reach across sectors and demographics to help every Philadelphian understand how AI can enhance their skills and keep them valuable in the workforce. We have an opportunity to become a place where all residents can access AI education, setting an example on how to create equitable opportunity.
I never want AI to replace human connection. Instead, I want us to find ways to use AI to strengthen that connection.
