What Does "Do Human Work" Mean in Cybersecurity?

"Do human work" means letting AI handle the constant reactive tasks so security people can spend their time on creativity and strategy. Nate Burke, CMO of 7AI, explains.

Key Takeaways

• AI agents take the "just responding to stuff every day" toil off the team.
• That frees people for the work that needs a human: creativity and strategic thought.
• 7AI tests the idea with one question: what would you do with 25% of your time back?

This fits inside a bigger picture. If you want the foundation first, here's the full picture.

The short answer

Nate frames AI not as a replacement but as a way to give people their best work back.

"We're helping them do human work, the things that require a human being, their creativity, their strategic thought, and get out of the I'm just responding to stuff every day." — Nate Burke

On the 7AI podcast, they ask every guest the same thing: if a magic wand gave you back 25 percent of your time, what would you do? Everyone has an answer, and Nate never leads them to one. It could be more time with their kids or a bigger project at work.

The point is to disarm the fear that AI is coming for someone's job. When people hear a skeptic explain how AI freed their team for better work, the "do human work" idea stops sounding like a threat.

Still getting your head around this? Start with the foundation. It's the foundation the rest of this sits on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AI replace security teams?

No. Nate's framing is that AI takes the repetitive reactive work so people can focus on creativity and strategic thinking, the parts of the job that require a human.

What is the "magic wand" question?

It is the question 7AI asks podcast guests: if you got back 25% of your time, what would you do? It surfaces honest, human answers and shifts the conversation away from job loss.

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