Will AI Replace Barbers?

Spoiler Alert... Nope!

Written by Chelsey Simons

Welcome to the very first blog post by The Barbers Chair located in beautiful Mandeville, Louisiana. I figured I'd kick things off with a topic that’s buzzing louder than my #3 guard on my favorite clippers: Artificial Intelligence.

It seems like everywhere you turn, someone's telling you how AI is revolutionizing everything from making your coffee and raising your kids to cutting your hair while you sleep. You'd think a robot named Brad is two weeks away from giving flawless fades and offering relationship advice on the side.

So let's talk about it. Is AI coming for your friendly neighborhood barber?

What AI Can Help Barbers With

As a barber running my own one woman shop I've learned that the business side of things is the hardest part of the job. Between staying on top of hair cutting trends, juggling appointments and remembering to send out your 3 week reminder emails, finding time to learn all things marketing and how to grow a business can feel impossibly overwhelming.

This is where AI tools really shine. It won’t make my business successful, but it’s like hiring a fast and slightly robotic intern who will tells you that you're pretty (with the right prompt).

So yes, when it comes to business solutions, AI is my friend.

But Can AI Cut Hair?

Now here’s where things get dicey.

You may have seen the youtube videos. Robots holding clippers, digital avatars giving hair consults and 3D mapping of heads with uncanny precision. I’ve no doubt, in a lab somewhere, a bunch of engineers are teaching a robot to cut hair. My own 8 year old aspiring robotics engineer may very well contribute to that endeavor one day. How cool is that?

All amazement and coolness aside, do YOU really want a glorified fax machine lining up your taper?

Barbering isn’t just about shaving a millimeter off the left temple. It’s an art filled with nuance and customization. It’s knowing when to keep it clean and classic, and when to add a little flare. It’s understanding your clients lifestyle, their personality, their hair’s personality and the mood they’re in that day. I think you’ll agree no amount of programming or teaching will come close to pulling that off.

Not to mention the obvious. A huge part of coming to the barbershop has nothing to do with hair. It’s the vibe. It’s the conversation. It’s that impromptu therapy session (for you and sometimes me) where you can talk about your job, your weekend plans, your conflicts, or just sit in silence for the only 45 minutes you’ll get to yourself all day. And let’s not forget the relaxing hot towel shampoo service. No AI is replacing that anytime soon.

A Tradition That's More Than a Haircut

Barbering has been around for centuries. Kings, soldiers, prisoners, white collar and blue collar everyday people have all sat in a chair just like mine. Trends change, tools improve, but the heart of this job is still the same - it’s personal. Most people don’t just come to a barber for a haircut, they come for the experience, the human connection. And yeah, the haircut too.

AI can replicate a lot of things but it can’t replicate me or barbers like me. That said, I do believe that there is a place for AI in the barber industry. After all, some people do prefer chain haircut places so we know that there is a barber for everyone. But I’m not worried about a robot taking my job. I’m learning how to utilize it to build my business and streamline the parts I don’t enjoy like coming up with a better hashtag than #FreshFadeFriday. But when it comes to the actual work, I’m not giving that up anytime soon and neither are the clients who seek out my services.

Thanks for reading, and if you ever do see a robot with a barber license, let me know, I’ll have a few questions for it, starting with, “Can you fold towels?”

^{_{Written by Chelsey Simons The Barbers Chair www.TheBarbersChairMandeville.com}}