Will AI Replace Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants?

Manage and maintain executives' schedules.

decision support — Algorithmic scheduling with human oversight of constraints

Make travel arrangements for executives.

information retrieval — Booking travel and reservations via tools

Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.

text generation — Technical reports drafted; human verifies content

Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.

interpersonal — Operational coordination requires live human orchestration

Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.

interpersonal — Call routing automatable; nuanced calls need human

Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.

text generation — Routine business correspondence fully draftable by AI

Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.

physical manipulation — Sorting and delivering physical mail

Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.

interpersonal — Physical presence greeting customers

Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.

decision support — Algorithmic scheduling with human oversight of constraints

Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees, and boards of directors.

data analysis — Compiling data or documentation is largely automatable

Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.

decision support — Ordering via systems automatable; human approves spend

File and retrieve corporate documents, records, and reports.

physical manipulation — Filing physical documents requires hands in the world

Read and analyze incoming memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution.

text generation — Reading and deriving actions from text is core LLM

Provide clerical support to other departments.

text generation — Broad clerical tasks partly automatable, human oversees exceptions

Attend meetings to record minutes.

text generation — Summarize meeting proceedings; human verifies accuracy

Process payroll information.

data analysis — Financial execution software-mediated; authorization human

Interpret administrative and operating policies and procedures for employees.

information retrieval — AI explains policies; human handles live questions

Set up and oversee administrative policies and procedures for offices or organizations.

decision support — AI drafts policies; accountability and context are human

Meet with individuals, special interest groups, and others on behalf of executives, committees, and boards of directors.

interpersonal — Real-time coworker coordination is relational work

Compile, transcribe, and distribute minutes of meetings.

text generation — Transcribe spoken or written information accurately

Supervise and train other clerical staff and arrange for employee training by scheduling training or organizing training material.

decision support — Algorithmic scheduling with human oversight of constraints

Review operating practices and procedures to determine whether improvements can be made in areas such as workflow, reporting procedures, or expenditures.

decision support — AI aids process inspection; physical verification is human