A new global study by Salesforce reveals that human resources leaders are bracing for a seismic shift in the workforce, driven by the rapid rise of AI agents.
Surveying 200 HR executives worldwide, the report finds that digital labor is no longer just a futuristic concept—it’s fast becoming a core business strategy.
Agent Adoption to Surge: Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) anticipate a 327% increase in AI agent adoption over the next two years, jumping from 15% today to 64% by 2027.
Productivity Boosts Ahead: With full implementation, companies expect a 30% gain in employee productivity and a 19% reduction in labor costs—translating to over $11,000 saved per employee, based on OECD wage data.
Major Workforce Shifts: Nearly a quarter of the global workforce (23%) is expected to be redeployed to new roles as AI transforms traditional job structures. Meanwhile, 61% will remain in their current roles, working alongside agents.
“Digital labor is fundamentally reshaping how work gets done,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. “We’re seeing the emergence of an agentic economy, where every role will blend human, agent, and business skills.”
Skills for the Future
The report shows that 81% of CHROs are prioritizing reskilling programs, with AI literacy topping the list of essential future skills. Soft skills such as collaboration, adaptability, and relationship-building are also expected to become even more valuable.
“This generation of leaders may be the last to manage human-only workforces,” noted Greg Shewmaker, CEO of r.Potential. “We’re entering a new phase of work that requires robust frameworks for human-AI collaboration.”
Challenges Remain
Despite growing urgency, only 15% of organizations have fully implemented agentic AI, and 73% of employees remain unclear on how digital labor will affect their roles. CHROs report focusing near-term efforts on preparing IT, R&D, and sales teams, with plans to reassign staff into emerging technical and relationship-focused roles.
As companies prepare for a mixed workforce of humans and AI, HR leaders are being called to navigate the transformation with strategic vision and adaptability. The message is clear: the future of work is already here—just unevenly distributed.
