# AI SDRs and automation

What AI and automation should and shouldn’t do in a sales team.

A lot of money has gone into replacing sales reps with software. These issues look at what AI and automation are good for in GTM (research, enrichment, scoring, list building) and the parts that still need a person, like calls and judgement on deals.

At [Tom’s GTM consultancy](https://advancedclient.io), the approach is human-led relationships, with automated systems doing the work behind them. It’s the line these issues keep coming back to.

## Issues

- [94% of GTM leaders just said AI is not replacing their team](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/94-of-gtm-leaders-just-said-ai-is-not-replacing-their-team) (15 October 2026): Over the last 18 months I've read a lot of predictions about the end of the sales rep.
- [I speedran a full cold email campaign using only AI](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/i-speedran-a-full-cold-email-campaign-using-only-ai) (9 October 2026): I built an entire outbound campaign from scratch without opening a single spreadsheet or clicking a single filter. Everything ran through Claude Code with…
- [90% of our GTM is automated. The 10% that isn't is the only reason it works.](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/90-of-our-gtm-is-automated-the-10-that-isn-t-is-the-only-reason-it-works) (29 September 2026): Over the last three years I've watched a lot of companies try to remove that 10%.
- [The 10% we refuse to automate](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/the-10-we-refuse-to-automate) (13 August 2026): The 10% that isn't is the only reason any of it works.
- [Artisan is hiring a human BDR](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/artisan-is-hiring-a-human-bdr) (11 August 2026): Artisan spent $2M on billboards telling the world to stop hiring humans.
- [POV: You just got hired as an SDR. Your job? Sell AI SDRs.](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/pov-you-just-got-hired-as-an-sdr-your-job-sell-ai-sdrs) (23 June 2026): Preaching that it's the new way to do outbound.
- [I just saw my AI sales bot and AI marketing bot have a fight about lead quality.](https://thegtmgame.com/issues/i-just-saw-my-ai-sales-bot-and-ai-marketing-bot-have-a-fight-about-lead-quality) (18 June 2026): The same fight humans have been having for 20 years.

## Podcast episodes

- [How to beat the VC treadmill with Ajinkya from Trellus (Trellus.ai)](https://thegtmgame.com/podcast/how-to-beat-the-vc-treadmill-ajinkya-trellus) (3 March 2026), with Ajinkya (AJ), co-founder of Trellus
- [Why AI Won’t Replace Great Salespeople With Jack Porter From BirdDog (getbirddog.ai)](https://thegtmgame.com/podcast/why-ai-wont-replace-great-salespeople-jack-porter-birddog) (18 February 2026), with Jack Porter from BirdDog

## Other topics

- [Outbound and cold outreach](https://thegtmgame.com/topics/outbound)
- [Signal-led selling](https://thegtmgame.com/topics/signal-led-selling)
- [Speed to lead and lead routing](https://thegtmgame.com/topics/speed-to-lead-and-lead-routing)
- [ICP and list building](https://thegtmgame.com/topics/icp-and-list-building)

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