AI agents reshape workplace roles, freeing employees for key tasks

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is ushering in a new era for real-world business operations, with agentic AI systems now driving change across sectors from financial services to manufacturing and recruitment. Industry experts contend that while AI's early adoption often centred on improving customer experience, the next wave of opportunity is emerging within internal workflows, through virtual agents acting as digital co-workers and operational assistants.

Dr Pete Stanski, Chief Technology Officer at V2 AI, outlined the shifting landscape, explaining, "While Agentic AI has to date mainly been focussed on customer experience, the next opportunity lies in employee assistance – creating virtual digital employees as coworkers. AI will shift employee roles from task doers to problem solvers." Stanski emphasised that although AI excels at routine or highly structured tasks, the unique attributes of human workers—ranging from strategic thinking to creativity and diplomacy—remain irreplaceable. As a result, staff will require upskilling to focus on complex challenges, while proper training and oversight for embedded AI agents will be crucial for organisational success. "Just like you would invest in new employees, show them the right and wrong way of doing things and coach them to improve, AI agents will also need this oversight and investment to ensure they're set up for success," he added.

Within the recruitment industry, AI is tackling a sector notorious for administrative load and burnout. Joel Delmaire, Chief Product Officer at JobAdder and former AI strategy lead at SEEK, highlighted the day-to-day pain points recruiters experience. "Recruiters didn't get into this field to clean up CRMs or process the 2,100 CVs they tell us they process every quarter. They joined to connect great people with great opportunities. But with applications spiking 42 per cent, while job opportunities remain flat, recruiters are stuck doing repetitive tasks instead of what matters: candidate relationships and strategic hiring," he stated. Delmaire noted that many AI tools are still poorly integrated, leading to workflow disruptions and user frustration. However, he expressed optimism about the growing maturity of embedded AI solutions, like those JobAdder is rolling out, which automate core tasks such as candidate matching and data clean-up directly within existing platforms. "This frees up time for the nuanced, human decisions that no algorithm can replicate... AI is not about replacing people. It is about giving them back the time and focus to do the work that matters," Delmaire concluded.

The manufacturing sector, meanwhile, is experiencing a similar transformation, exemplified by the introduction of Mayvn AI by OFS (Operations Feedback Systems). Supported by consultancy Decision Inc. Australia, OFS has embedded generative AI directly into its analytics platform, which is utilised by prominent manufacturers including Asahi, AstraZeneca, and Bega. Mayvn AI acts as an operational assistant, helping factory leaders swiftly access insights on production issues, risks, and improvement opportunities.

James Magee, CEO of OFS, explained the company's deliberate approach: "Our goal was to build something meaningful, not gimmicky. We didn't want AI just for the sake of AI, we wanted it to solve real problems." Mayvn AI's design aligns with existing architectures for security and scalability, providing actionable insights through natural language prompts. For instance, a site leader can request a briefing such as, "What should I know before walking into this site today?" and instantly receive a concise, tailored summary.

Since its launch, Mayvn AI has been adopted at more than 200 manufacturing sites worldwide. By transforming vast swathes of production data into accessible, actionable insights, Mayvn AI is enabling leaders to reduce preparation time for reports, identify trends, and make data-backed investment decisions. "What we're seeing now is our clients using AI not just to analyse data, but to tell stories with it, to understand what's happening in their business and act with confidence," Magee remarked. Tony Butler, Managing Director at Decision Inc. Australia, said, "Mayvn AI is a perfect example of how GenAI can be deployed responsibly and pragmatically. By starting with a real problem and focusing on the user experience, they've built something powerful and future-ready."

Across these diverse sectors, the consensus among technology leaders is clear: AI agents are set to transform the role of both employee and employer. As organisations continue to embed AI more deeply into systems and workflows, the emphasis will be on thoughtful integration, rigorous training, and leveraging human strengths alongside computational power. Rather than replacement, the aim is empowerment—enabling teams to focus on high-value, human-centric tasks that drive business success.