Comparison
AI automation vs new hire
When your team is overloaded and needs more capacity, the question is usually "hire or automate." This text compares both choices based on real numbers from a typical SMB situation. The choice depends on work type — not always AI.
When to pick us
AI automation
Choose AI automation when: the process is repeatable and predictable (invoice processing, typical emails, product lookups); work volume varies significantly (nights, weekends, peaks); errors are recoverable and don't lose key customers; you have clear rules for what a "correct" decision is.
When to pick the other option
New full-time employee
Choose a new hire when: work requires real-time judgment with nuance (negotiations, problematic customers); you expect the employee to handle other tasks beyond one specific (management, sales, new product development); the work has a social aspect (face-to-face meetings, company representation); regulations require human factor in the process.
Comparison by concrete parameters
| AI automation | New full-time employee | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment | 3,000 - 25,000 EUR one-time | 500 - 2,000 EUR (hiring, onboarding) |
| Monthly cost | 100 - 600 EUR (infrastructure + maintenance) | 2,000 - 4,500 EUR (salary + social + training) |
| Time to full productivity | 2-6 weeks | 3-6 months (hiring + onboarding + experience) |
| Capacity | Dozens to hundreds of requests per hour, 24/7 | One request at a time, 8 hours daily, 5 days weekly |
| Errors | Systematic — repeatable and fixable in the system | Human — depend on mood, fatigue, experience |
| Judgment | Limited — good in defined cases | Holistic — recognize nuance and context |
| Scaling up | Just more infrastructure (non-linear cost) | New employee for every Xx more work |
| Error freedom | No — requires monitoring and periodic tuning | No — requires supervision and feedback |