Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

Executive assistants today use a lot of computer tools. For example, they often “prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, [and] other documents, using word processing” software ^[1] and arrange travel for bosses ^[1]. AI writing helpers (like ChatGPT or built-in word processors) can draft or polish these documents quickly, and email systems use simple AI filters to sort and prioritize mail.

Online calendars and booking sites handle much of scheduling and travel planning. In fact, U.S. job data notes AI works best on routine, repeatable tasks ^[2] – exactly the kind of work secretaries often do. Even so, tasks that require judgment or a personal touch still need people.

Greeting an unexpected visitor or handling a tricky phone call usually needs a human’s discretion ^[1]. In short, many core tasks (like writing drafts or sorting emails) can be partly automated today ^{[1] [2]}, but AI is mostly helping assistants by taking on repetitive parts, not completely replacing them.

Whether offices adopt AI fast or slow depends on many factors. The good news is that AI tools are widely available: Microsoft, Google and other companies now include AI assistants for writing, email, and scheduling. If an AI system can do work cheaper than a human salary, a company might try it.

But there are reasons to move cautiously. Executive assistants handle confidential things and use judgment (the BLS notes they “provide high-level support” by doing research and report-writing ^[2]), so managers worry about errors or privacy when computers do those jobs. Implementing AI systems also costs time and training, and businesses must trust the results.

In recent labor projections, tech jobs (like software developers) are growing strongly ^[2], meaning companies invest in tech skills; at the same time, routine admin roles aren’t growing much. Practically, that suggests firms will use AI to augment assistants (for example, using an AI to draft a memo) while keeping people on hand for planning, problem-solving and personal contact. Overall, experts expect many assistants will use AI tools to save time, but still rely on human skills like organization and empathy that computers can’t match ^{[2] [2]}.