The Michael Jordan Problem: Why AI Is Wasted on Just Answering Calls

Imagine if you hired Michael Jordan in his prime — the greatest basketball player of all time — and then assigned him to be your team’s water boy. He’d still be part of the team, technically. He’d still have a role. But all of that talent, all of that game-changing ability, would be wasted on the sidelines.

That’s exactly what’s happening to AI today. Too many businesses are using artificial intelligence the way they’d use a receptionist or a call center. It picks up the phone, answers a few basic questions, maybe schedules an appointment if the system is set up correctly. It does the job of an assistant, nothing more. But AI is capable of so much more than that — and treating it like a glorified message-taker is the digital version of benching Michael Jordan.

At Huutl, we believe AI shouldn’t just sit on the sidelines. It belongs on the court, actively driving your business forward. Instead of just answering calls, Huutl books jobs directly into your calendar. Instead of passing along a message, it processes payments instantly so you don’t lose revenue to delays. Instead of stopping at the bare minimum, it looks for opportunities to upsell and cross-sell, increasing the value of every customer interaction. And with Huutl Pulse™, it doesn’t just handle operations — it gives you insights into how your business is performing in real time, like having a coach who can break down the score and tell you the next play.

The truth is, answering services and basic AI phone bots aren’t built to win games — they’re built to keep you from losing them. They make sure someone picks up the phone, but they don’t make sure your business grows. That’s the fundamental difference. An answering service is a cost center; Huutl is a profit center. It’s the difference between having someone refill the water bottles and having someone who can actually sink the game-winning shot.

Business owners today can’t afford to waste AI’s potential. Competition is too tight, and customers are too demanding. You don’t need another tool that just keeps you afloat. You need a partner that actually puts points on the board. That’s what Huutl does: it takes AI out of the role of the water boy and puts it exactly where it belongs — in the game, driving revenue, closing deals, and helping you win.

Stop wasting AI on the sidelines. Put it on the court. Join the Huutl waitlist today.