Dan Sirk is a fractional executive serving as chief marketing officer for two companies simultaneously, a role made more manageable by artificial intelligence tools such as Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. These technologies have significantly accelerated his workflow, enabling him to complete tasks that once took months or weeks in a matter of days or hours. For instance, Mr. Sirk recalls that building a custom website previously required a team of contractors over three to six months, but now he can complete it solo in about a month. Similarly, drafting a messaging strategy that used to take a week was recently finished in under eight hours.

Despite these efficiency gains, Mr. Sirk emphasizes a clear limit to how many companies he can effectively manage, citing human relationships and routine meetings as key constraints. He currently attends around ten meetings weekly across his two companies, including regular sessions with top executives, one-on-ones with chief executives, and project-specific discussions. If he takes on a third company, Mr. Sirk predicts a 50 percent increase in meeting volume, pushing his schedule close to a full workweek of meetings. He dismisses the idea of managing beyond three companies, underscoring the persistence of meetings despite A.I.’s advances.

Mr. Sirk’s experience reflects a broader trend in workplaces adopting artificial intelligence. While A.I. dramatically speeds up many white-collar tasks—like generating proposals, drafting documents, or designing software features—it cannot replace the inherently human functions embedded in organizational structures, such as decision-making, persuasion, lobbying, and client reassurance. Executives and professionals still need to deliberate on options, convince stakeholders, and nurture relationships, activities that require in-person or virtual interaction beyond what A.I. can automate.

Economist David Deming, dean of Harvard College, underscores that as the information environment becomes more saturated, the ability to distill complex data into compelling narratives and exercise interpersonal skills grows increasingly valuable. These capabilities, traditionally important, now play an even larger role in distinguishing effective knowledge workers.

Businesses beyond Mr. Sirk’s own also attest to this balance between technology and human connection. For example, at PolicyFly, an insurance software company, artificial intelligence has drastically reduced onboarding times. However, finalizing agreements often still requires extensive human interaction to reassure clients and coordinate among multiple stakeholders, necessitating numerous meetings.

Collectively, these insights suggest that while A.I. enhances productivity and reshapes workflows, it does not eliminate the procedural and social elements embedded in professional settings. Meetings and human engagement remain central to organizational functioning, maintaining their place alongside advancing technology rather than being displaced by it.