Ever since generative AI exploded in popularity, one of the major concerns has been how it will impact jobs and replace the human workforce. That fear is only heightened with the mention of AI agents, as they can carry out tasks for humans without even needing constant human prompting or supervision, eliminating the need for humans to perform specific tasks even further.
However, just because an AI agent can carry out some tasks doesn’t necessarily mean it can do all of them. As mentioned above, there are critical business operations that an AI agent cannot replace, such as face-to-face interactions with clients or higher-level tasks involving problem-solving, experience, or creativity.
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In fact, according to LaMoreaux, AI agents may amplify the need for humans in some areas.
“With AI and generative AI, domain expertise becomes more important, not less important,” said LaMoreaux. “The AI agents already know the basics, so when things need to get unique, then routed to humans, it’s going to be higher-order questions and problems.”
Building on this idea, Elsakr also highlighted that the models themselves don’t have ideas. As a result, it is imperative that humans come up with better ideas now and spend real time implementing ideas that matter.
Another concern about AI agents is that they are entirely autonomous and, as a result, can handle important business tasks and data without the need for direct human supervision guiding their every step, leaving room for bias, privacy concerns, and error.
However, it is important to remember that AI agents can be tailored to fit the specific company’s needs. They are given the authority to access only information the company is willing to share and can only perform actions they are specifically granted the authority to do. Ultimately, these tasks should be carefully chosen to ensure they align with the company’s needs and values.
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For example, LaMoreaux explained IBM uses an agent to help match candidates to potential job roles, as opposed to using an AI agent for selection to weed out applications. Even though other companies use AI agents for filtering and selecting processes, there is a risk of inviting AI bias and not selecting people with different educational backgrounds, which doesn’t align with the company culture.
This keeps the company in control of how AI agents behave. As a result, even though the technology is autonomous, users can find comfort in knowing it won’t act in ways it hasn’t been permitted to.
Source : https://www.zdnet.com/article/ai-agents-arent-just-assistants-how-theyre-changing-the-future-of-work-today/
