AI ‘Agents’ in the Workplace: Digital Labor or Overhype?

The concept of AI “agents,” heralded as the next evolution in generative AI, has captivated the tech industry. Branded as “digital labor,” these tools promise to automate tasks traditionally performed by humans, potentially transforming industries like customer service and software development. Yet, while companies like Salesforce and Nvidia push their agentic platforms, skepticism abounds regarding their immediate impact and scalability.

Agents: More Promise Than Practice?

AI agents aim to surpass traditional bots by taking actions, not just providing responses. Salesforce’s Marc Benioff is leading this narrative, touting the cost-saving potential of Agentforce 2.0. By reducing the volume of customer-service tickets requiring human intervention in Salesforce’s own operations, Benioff believes companies can achieve similar efficiencies. “You’re going to be able to grow your business because you’re going to do it with digital labor,” he said.

Despite such optimism, industry experts remain cautious. “Nobody’s whacking 30% of their staff this year because they put in AI. Let’s just call it — that’s not happening,” said Maribel Lopez of Lopez Research. “And the reason that’s not happening is, let’s just say they wanted to whack 30% of their staff and put in AI. They probably still wouldn’t think it’s accurate enough”. This sentiment reflects broader concerns that current AI tools lack the reliability needed for large-scale workforce reductions or automation.

Rethinking Career Paths

The rise of AI agents is also reshaping professional dynamics. In software development, for instance, agents enable junior coders to match the productivity of their more experienced counterparts. Lopez warns that this shift could spell trouble for mid-level professionals. “With AI, mediocrity is death,” she said. “You have to either not know much and be cheap, or you have to know a lot and be really good at what you do. Being in the middle is not going to serve you well as an individual moving forward from a career-path standpoint”.

This trend raises questions about how businesses will integrate AI into their workflows. While low-level tasks may be automated, advanced decision-making still requires human expertise. The result, experts say, will be a bifurcated labor market where specialists thrive, and generalists struggle.

The Long Road to Transformation

For all the hype, the widespread impact of AI agents remains years away. D.A. Davidson’s Gil Luria emphasizes that the technology, while promising, is still in its infancy. “In 10 to 20 years, a lot of white-collar, administrative tasks will be automated using the tools that we’ve developed over the last few years. I believe that to be true and it’s going to be truly transformative and drive a productivity boom across the global economy,” Luria said. “That’s 10 to 20 years, though. What we have today are some niche applications where this technology is very useful, but that’s it”.

Lopez concurs, noting that while agents are improving efficiency in specific areas, they lack the autonomy and accuracy required to justify broader implementation. “What we’re seeing now is autopilot, not true agents”, she said.

The Cost of Digital Labor

Adopting AI agents is not without its financial challenges. Companies like Salesforce are transitioning from subscription pricing to consumption-based models, where costs scale with usage. This shift has sparked concerns among enterprises wary of unpredictable expenses. “The reality of the situation is that people just have to pay more for their enterprise software because they can’t get good quality AI enterprise software without paying more for it”, Lopez explained.

Benioff has positioned agents as more than IT tools, framing them as HR solutions to tap into budgets outside traditional enterprise software. This strategy highlights the growing tension between the promises of AI efficiency and the actual costs of deployment.

A Familiar Playbook

Salesforce’s strategy mirrors its early approach to CRM software. Just as Benioff convinced businesses to replace Excel and Outlook with Salesforce, he’s now pitching AI agents as the next essential enterprise tool. However, replicating that success will require overcoming significant hurdles, including unproven technology and skeptical customers.

Looking Ahead

While AI agents are unlikely to revolutionize the workforce in the short term, their potential remains undeniable. As technology matures, agents could automate a wide range of tasks, driving efficiency and reshaping industries. For now, businesses must navigate the gap between aspiration and reality, investing strategically to maximize value without falling for the hype.

At Rendr, we have no intention of replacing our agency team members with AI. However, we empower everyone to leverage AI as much as possible to drive efficiencies and maximise our output. The results so far have driven our employee engagement scores through the roof whilst reducing cost and time to market for our customers.

References

• Jeremy C. Owens (2025). Tech is now betting on AI ‘agents.’ Will they boost stocks or take your job?. MarketWatch. Available online. Accessed 21 January 2025.
• Carolyn Guss (2024. Introducing Agentforce 2.0: The Digital Labor Platform for Building a Limitless Workforce. Salesforce (Press release). Available online. Accessed 21 January 2025.