I had a strange experience at the swimming pool today.

When I walked into the women’s locker room, I saw two female staff trying to unclog a drain using some tools and guidance from AI. My first thought was that maybe management was trying to save costs by having staff handle everything themselves.

But then I paused and realized that might have been a bit narrow-minded.

I suddenly remembered something from last year — at the exact same place, a male plumber had to come into the women’s locker room to fix a similar problem. I remember feeling uncomfortable at the time, especially since there was no prior notice.

That’s when my perspective shifted.

Sometimes “AI + do-it-all staff” isn’t really about efficiency — it’s about working within real-world constraints. In some situations, there simply aren’t better options.

That said… after I finished swimming, the drain was still clogged.

AI is powerful, but in the end, some problems still need experienced hands to solve.