A recent report from Microsoft's annual Work Trend Index highlights a significant shift in business leaders' attitudes towards agentic artificial intelligence (AI) tools, driven largely by workforce capacity challenges. The findings, based on a survey conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence of 31,000 knowledge workers, reveal that over 80% of business executives anticipate deploying agentic AI technologies within their organisations.
The study further indicates that nearly half of the decision-makers have already implemented full automation of workflows or business processes through AI agents, with customer service, marketing, and product development identified as the top priorities for AI investment. The impact of adopting these AI tools on employment is currently uncertain; approximately one-third of surveyed leaders are considering reductions in headcount due to these technological transitions, while over 75% plan to increase recruitment to fill emerging roles related to AI.
Jared Spataro, Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer for AI at Work, spoke to the evolving enterprise landscape, stating, “Just as the internet era created billions of new knowledge jobs — from social media managers to UX designers — the AI era is already giving rise to new roles, with many more to come.” He emphasised the necessity for both employees and companies to proactively build AI skills, adding, “Preparing for what’s next is no longer optional. Employees must build AI skills and companies must support them with the right tools and training.”
In conjunction with the report, Microsoft unveiled updates to its Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 spring release, aimed at enhancing “human-agent collaboration.” The update introduces new Researcher and Analyst agents powered by OpenAI's deep reasoning models and includes improved agent access controls designed for IT environments.
The trend towards integrating agentic AI into enterprise operations is not confined to Microsoft. Other major technology vendors such as Salesforce, Google, SAP, and AWS are also advancing their AI agent platforms to automate various workflows. Despite strong vendor momentum, challenges persist for widespread adoption, notably concerns around governance and the adequacy of current data infrastructure.
Interestingly, while just 40% of employees surveyed report familiarity with AI agents, over two-thirds believe that AI will accelerate their career progression. Spataro remarked on the importance of addressing these dynamics with candour and strategic investment, saying, “This moment calls for honest conversations, intentional communication and real investment in reskilling. The companies that invest now won’t just keep up — they’ll shape what comes next.”
Source: Noah Wire Services