The company behind one of the world’s most advanced AI assistants is offering £145,000 for a human one in London, as tech giants continue to rely on people for jobs their own tech promises to automate.
Anthropic, the developer of Claude, is recruiting an administrative business partner in the capital, despite developing AI tools capable of managing diaries, organising meetings and carrying out increasingly complex office tasks.
The six-figure salary highlights the continued demand for human expertise inside the companies leading the AI revolution, even as their technology threatens to replace many traditional white-collar roles.
It also comes as AI developers race to bring increasingly autonomous digital assistants into the workplace, promising businesses significant savings on administrative work.
“If AI could replace a great PA, an AI company would be the first to do it”, Anna Bailey, founder of professional assistant network Pally Talk, told City AM. “AI can manage a calendar, but it can’t read a room or make the judgement call when a deal is on the line”.
Pally Talk’s July survey found that 68 per cent had made a business-critical decision without sign-off in the previous year, while 65 per cent believed they were underpaid.
Bailey argued that the rise of AI could make experienced assistants more valuable, with companies increasingly relying on their judgement, discretion and ability to manage relationships.
AI giants still turning to human workers
Anthropic is not alone in relying on human support while developing technology intended to perform similar tasks.
Last month, Meta was reportedly testing a service that used human contractors to handle telephone calls made through its AI assistant Muse.
The technology was designed to contact businesses, book appointments and negotiate bills on behalf of users, but some calls were handled by people rather than AI. The trial was subsequently rolled back following internal concerns over privacy and transparency.
The developments highlight a challenge for AI developers seeking to convince businesses that autonomous agents can reliably take over work traditionally carried out by employees.
While the technology has become increasingly capable of handling routine tasks, more complicated situations involving personal judgement and sensitive information remain harder to automate.
PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that roles where AI enhances human expertise are seeing twice the growth in vacancies and 42 per cent faster salary increases than jobs where the technology makes tasks easier for less experienced workers.
The study, which analysed more than one billion job advertisements, found employers were placing greater emphasis on judgement, leadership and other human skills as AI becomes more widely adopted.