Stop Thinking of AI as a Coworker. It’s an Exoskeleton. | Kasava Kasava Toggle theme Login Start free Open menu Back to Blog We’re thinking about AI wrong. I keep noticing the same pattern: companies that treat AI as an autonomous agent that should “just figure it out” tend to be disappointed. Meanwhile, companies that treat AI as an extension of their existing workforce, an amplifier of human capability rather than a replacement, are seeing genuinely transformative results. Thats not to say that AI can’t act automonously with specific tasks (see the rise of OpenClaw as a viral proof of concept), but even that still acts as an extension of human decision making and context. The framing matters more than we realize. And I think the best mental model for understanding AI isn’t a new coworker. It’s an exoskeleton. The Exoskeleton Model Stay with me here, because this isn’t just a metaphor. There are real examples of exoskeletons being deployed right now across manufacturing, logistics, military, and healthcare. The statistics are worth paying attention to. In Manufacturing: Ford has deployed EksoVest exoskeletons in 15 plants across 7 countries. The result? An 83% decrease in injuries in units using exoskeletons. Workers still do the overhead lifting (4,600 times per day)but with 5-15 pounds of assistance per arm that makes the work sustainable. BMW’s Spartanburg plant reports 30-40% reduction in worker effort using Levitate Technologies vests. German Bionic’s Cray X provides up to 66 lbs of lift support per movement. German Bionic reports that customers using the Cray X, including BMW and IKEA, have seen a 25% reduction in sick days. In Military Applications: The Sarcos Guardian XO Max provides 20:1 strength amplification. 100 lbs feels like 5 lbs. Soldiers can carry up to 200 pounds, not because the suit replaces them, but because it amplifies what they can already do. The Lockheed Martin HULC enables carrying 200 pounds at sustained speeds of ~7 mph with 10 mph bursts. This matters because musculoskeletal injuries account for over half of all military injuries, with back injuries among the most common. The exoskeleton doesn’t fight for the soldier. It keeps them from getting injured while they do their job. In Medical Rehabilitation: In a meta-analysis of powered exoskeleton training, 76% of patients with spinal cord injuries were able to walk while wearing the exoskeleton with no additional physical assistance from therapists, many using only crutches or walkers for balance. These are people who were told they would never walk again. Even in Running: Stanford’s 2020 research showed a 15% reduction in the energy cost of running with their ankle exoskeleton, potentially translating to a 10% boost in running speed. Harvard’s soft exosuit reduced the metabolic cost of running by 5.4%. That means a marathon would feel like running 24.9 miles instead of 26.2. Notice the pattern here. The exoskeleton doesn’t replace the human. It doesn’t lift the boxes

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