Kevin F.

This is the thesis of a book I just finished. AI outbound will never live up to the vendor promise for one structural reason - there is no objective function for "this prospect shouldn't buy." AI is optimized to advance every deal toward close. That optimization is exactly what makes it dangerous in complex B2B. The sellers who survive this aren't the ones who automate better. They're the ones who do less, with more precision, and work for the buyer's decision rather than their own number.

SDR/BDR is the obvious answer but I'd push back on the framing a little. The role isn't the variable - the operating mode is. Any GTM role built around execution (outbound volume, task completion, process adherence) is at risk. Any role built around judgment (synthesizing context, challenging assumptions, guiding decisions) survives. AI isn't killing the SDR - it's killing the execution-first version of every role on this list, including AE. I've been writing about this specific shift for a while. Just finished a book on it if anyone wants an early read.