AI Agents Are Replacing Workers, Not Just Assisting Them, Tech Leaders Warn

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman predicted in February 2026 that artificial intelligence would reach human-level performance on most professional tasks within 12 to 18 months. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed in September 2025 that AI agents already handle roughly half of all customer service interactions at his company, with its support workforce cut from 9,000 to around 5,000 employees. The shift marks a fundamental change from AI as a productivity tool to AI as an autonomous agent capable of completing entire workflows without human involvement. A KPMG survey from Q2 2025 found that 33 percent of organisations had already deployed AI agents, up threefold from the previous survey period. Analysts and commentators warn that the resulting labour disruption will be faster and broader than the gradual automation scenarios policymakers spent years preparing for.