There’s no shortage of noise around AI in the MSP world right now. Every platform claims intelligence. Every workflow promises automation. But as many MSPs are learning in real time, buzzwords alone don’t drive efficiency. What actually matters is how AI and automation work together in practice.
That was the core focus of Thread’s recent webinar with Rewst, titled “AI Thinks, Automation Acts: Bringing Them Together to Refine MSP Efficiency.” The conversation brought together leaders from both platforms alongside real-world MSP perspective from DelCor Technology Solutions, cutting through the hype to explain what’s working, what isn’t, and where MSPs should actually start.
One of the biggest themes of the discussion was how often AI and automation are lumped together as if they’re interchangeable. They’re not.
AI is fundamentally about decision-making and interpretation. It can read messy human input, understand intent, and predict what should happen next. Automation, on the other hand, is about execution. It touches systems, triggers workflows, and performs actions consistently through APIs and integrations.
As Rewst CEO and founder, Aharon Chernin, highlighted, automation without intelligence is rigid, and AI without tools can’t actually do anything. The real power comes when AI determines what should happen and automation handles how it happens.
Thread’s Cheif of Magic and Co-Founder, Mark Alayev, expanded on this idea with a simple but important reminder: AI on its own doesn’t solve problems. It needs an interface, context, and access to systems. Without that layer, it’s just prediction without impact.
For DelCor Technology Solutions, an MSP serving nonprofit and association clients in Washington, DC, the shift toward AI and automation wasn’t about chasing trends. It was about surviving operational chaos.
Director of Integrated Systems and Operations Peter Just explained that before adopting automation, DelCor had to get disciplined about its own processes. Without clear workflows and defined outcomes, no amount of automation would deliver consistent results. That groundwork turned out to be critical.
Once in place, Thread helped DelCor dramatically improve service desk triage through automatic categorization, prioritization, and ticket summarization. Technicians no longer had to guess urgency or manually sort tickets. They could focus on solving the problem instead of managing metadata.
Layering Rewst automation on top of that intelligence brought consistency DelCor hadn’t been able to achieve manually, particularly around user onboarding and offboarding. Even with documentation and QA checks, those tasks had always been prone to rework. Automation changed that by doing the same thing, the same way, every time.
The result wasn’t just faster resolution times. Customer satisfaction increased, technicians were less frustrated, and the team could finally focus on higher-value work instead of constant cleanup.
Unsurprisingly, job displacement came up repeatedly during the webinar. The panel was unanimous: AI and automation aren’t replacing MSP professionals, they’re reshaping their roles.
There’s already a talent shortage in the MSP industry, and salaries continue to rise. Automating repetitive, low-value tasks doesn’t eliminate jobs. It creates room for growth. Dispatchers evolve into technicians. Tier-zero roles expand into tier-one and beyond. People spend less time chasing time entries or correcting ticket fields and more time learning, troubleshooting, and advising clients.
As Mark pointed out, nobody dreams of a career built on reminding coworkers to update tickets. Removing that work makes jobs more rewarding and, ultimately, better paid.
Aaron framed it even more directly. MSP professionals can either resist AI and automation, or they can become the person who understands it best. That expertise doesn’t just benefit one employer. It travels with you throughout your career.
Another common concern MSPs raise is flexibility. What about unique clients? What about exceptions?
The reality, as Peter explained, is that automation doesn’t remove accountability. It accelerates the process. Technicians are still responsible for QA, for client-specific nuances, and for final validation. Automation puts them on “roller skates,” but humans stay firmly in the loop.
The key is focusing automation on high-frequency, repeatable workflows where ROI is clear, then layering human judgment on top. Not every process needs to be automated. But the ones that happen dozens or hundreds of times a month absolutely should be.
That balance also unlocks something bigger: better client relationships. When technicians aren’t buried in alerts, resets, and repetitive admin work, they have time to listen, advise, and act as true technology partners. AI and automation, when implemented correctly, make service more human, not less.
For MSPs just beginning their AI and automation journey, the panel offered consistent advice. Start internally. Get leadership buy-in. Focus on repeatable workflows with clear ROI. Learn by doing.
The good news is that the barrier to entry has never been lower. AI tools are more accessible than ever, experimentation is inexpensive, and the learning curve is shorter than many expect. Even starting today is enough to build real expertise.
As one attendee put it in the chat, don’t build for the weird 20 percent of edge cases first. Build for the 80 percent that happens every day.
AI thinks. Automation acts. Together, they give MSPs a way to scale without sacrificing service quality, employee satisfaction, or human connection.
For MSPs willing to move past the buzzwords and focus on real workflows, the opportunity isn’t just operational efficiency. It’s better work, better service, and a stronger, more sustainable business.
If you’re ready to see how AI-driven service intelligence and automation can work together in your own service desk, book a demo with Thread to explore what’s possible for your team. You can also watch the full webinar replay to hear the conversation and real-world examples in depth.