Peter Swimm, owner and consultant at Toilville, joined The Business Mic to explore how organizations can adopt AI and automation in ways that enhance — not erase — human expertise. With years of experience building conversational systems and workplace automation for major global companies, Peter now focuses on helping small and midsize organizations implement AI responsibly while preserving the value of human judgment, context, and organizational knowledge.

Peter explains that while many businesses rush toward AI to reduce workload or increase efficiency, they often overlook the human layer that determines whether automation succeeds or fails. He highlights the common assumption that frequently asked questions lead to uniform answers — when in reality, customer needs are often unique and require thoughtful handoffs between automation and human support. Effective systems, he stresses, must be designed with exit paths, context sharing, and safeguards that ensure customers feel understood rather than processed.

The conversation further explores modern AI implementation, from natural language interfaces to the shift away from rigid scripts, and the crucial role of domain experts in training and validating systems. Peter emphasizes that organizations should invest not only in technology, but also in curation, governance, and truth management — ensuring their internal knowledge base is accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with user needs. Ultimately, his perspective reinforces that meaningful AI transformation is not about replacing people — it's about enabling them to work smarter, deepen value, and elevate the customer experience.