Chief human resources officers (CHROs) plan to expand their digital labor in the next two years, investing in AI agents to increase productivity, according to the latest Salesforce global research.
The research surveyed 200 global human resource executives to gather their perspectives on integrating AI into the workplace. The findings indicate a strong consensus among CHROs about the transformative potential of AI agents.
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Most (77%) respondents believe agents will become a fundamental part of the workforce, transforming the organizational makeup. This result signals that digital labor is not merely a peripheral development but a central pillar of future business strategy that demands serious consideration.
The research also points to a rapid adoption trajectory for AI agents. Over the next two years, HR executives anticipate a 327% increase in their deployment. This widespread integration of agents is expected to yield a 30% gain in overall productivity, underscoring the compelling business case for embracing AI in operational processes.
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This projected integration of AI agents is expected to drive considerable changes in workforce skill sets and the overall structural design of businesses. Regarding structure, CHROs foresee a significant need to redeploy nearly a quarter of their global workforce (24%) to accommodate new roles and responsibilities due to implementing digital labor. This trend highlights the proactive measures HR leaders must take to adapt to this evolving landscape.
These findings collectively underscore AI’s profound transformative potential to reshape the future of work. The findings also emphasize the critical role that HR leaders will play in strategically navigating these significant changes to ensure a smooth and effective transition into a new era of digital labor.
Here are the key findings from Salesforce’s CHRO and Digital Labor research.
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The future of work is hybrid
The research suggests people and AI agents will co-create value at the speed of need:
- By 2030, 80% of CHROs believe most companies will have humans and AI agents working together. Almost nine of every 10 CHROs will focus on integrating AI agents into the workforce. So, what will be the most appropriate name for HR, as most labor will be a blend of humans and machines? The answer, perhaps, is Talent Resources.
- By 2027, CHROs anticipate 327% growth in agent AI adoption, from 15% in 2025 to 64% in 2027. Surprisingly, 36% of respondents have no plans for AI agent adoption. The healthiest companies of the future will be autonomous and use digital labor. Sadly, almost four in every 10 companies of the future will be unable to successfully compete and win in an AI-first powered economy, where digital labor will be the main competitive differentiator.
- CHROs expect an average employee productivity gain of 30% and a 19% reduction in labor costs using agents. Productivity gains will be immediate, but the overall potential of efficiency and effectiveness based on AI agent deployments requires additional analysis.
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Reskilling and redeploying talent
CHROs will have several strategic priorities that focus on new capabilities, organizational structures, and fresh opportunities:
- More than four in five HR chiefs plan to reskill their workers to be more competitive in a market shaped by AI agents. How we measure success will change with the greater adoption of digital labor. Concepts around effort and experience will be less important in the age of boundless possibilities and talent abundance. AI agents will quickly learn, improve, and scale their abilities to create an impact for stakeholders. Data and AI literacy will rise in the reskilling priority lists. Most CHROs also agree that soft skills, like relationship building and collaboration, will be even more critical as humans work alongside agents.
- Adoption of AI agents will reshape organizational structures. Over three-quarters (77%) of CHROs believe AI agents will transform organizational structures.
- Integrating AI agents is anticipated to create significant opportunities for human talent. Most CHROs (89%) believe AI and digital labor will enable them to transition employees into new and more impactful positions. This shift involves delegating routine tasks to AI agents, allowing human employees to concentrate on more intricate and critical responsibilities. While HR executives predict that a substantial portion of their workforce (61%) will maintain their current roles while collaborating with digital labor, they anticipate a considerable redeployment of approximately 23% of the workforce to different roles or teams by 2027. They consider this strategy of redeploying existing talent highly advantageous, with 88% of CHROs finding it more cost-effective than external hiring for new roles.
- Furthermore, a large percentage of CHROs (81%) are already engaged in (20%) or planning (61%) to reskill their employees to prepare them for roles with enhanced prospects. Salesforce has also embraced this approach. This evolution signifies a cognitive upgrade rather than a simple knowledge transfer from humans to AI. By leveraging AI as trusted assistants, human employees can perform their work with greater speed, intelligence, and scale.
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Taking a team approach to agents
The research suggests autonomous businesses will need teams with a blend of capabilities:
- The CHRO survey found that 85% of businesses haven’t embraced agentic AI. CHROs must adopt a greater sense of urgency and partner with IT and research and development (R&D) to accelerate their adoption of digital labor. With greater adoption of AI agents, CHROs anticipate that IT, R&D, and sales teams will grow as their businesses adopt AI agents. In the near term, more technical roles that require higher data and AI literacy will attract employee reassignments. CHROs believe AI literacy is the number one skill workers need as businesses move into the agentic economy.
- The most important skills are soft, and they’re also the hardest to codify and teach. Building long-lasting relationships, earning trust, showing empathy, and creating a safe space to foster a greater sense of belonging will require the large-scale reskilling of employees. The survey found that 75% of CHROs say AI agents will increase their organization’s need for soft skills.
- CHROs plan to reassign employees to relationship-building roles, where collaboration and adaptability skills are most valued, anticipating that teams, such as customer service, operations, and finance, will decrease in size and see some redeployment with the augmentation and efficiencies of agents.
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Here’s what happens next
Integrating digital labor, particularly AI agents, into business operations is still in its infancy, with widespread adoption being less than two years old. This novelty has generated significant excitement and a sense of urgency among HR executives. However, despite this enthusiasm, many CHROs are still in the initial planning stages as they prepare their workforces for this shift. Only 15% report that their organizations have fully implemented agentic AI.
Interestingly, three out of four employees are still unaware of the potential impact of AI agents on their daily tasks and roles. This result highlights a crucial need for managers to craft the transformation narrative. Our primary focus should be on the cognitive upgrade of our human employees, empowering them to work alongside AI, rather than viewing AI as a mere cognitive download or a replacement for our existing talent.
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We stand at a unique juncture as the last generation of business leaders to manage a purely human workforce. The future of work is undeniably hybrid and increasingly autonomous, where human expertise and AI capabilities converge. People and AI agents will function as trusted partners, forming a combined human and digital labor force that will revolutionize nearly every facet of business.
However, amidst this technological evolution, one fundamental aspect of the human experience will remain constant: the innate desire to belong and feel valued, to pursue career growth, and to experience trust, respect, and care within the workplace.
This moment presents an unprecedented opportunity for CHROs and HR (or Talent Resources) leaders to actively shape the future of work in a meaningful way that fosters a positive and engaging environment for our people. This effort isn’t simply about HR gaining a seat at the boardroom table. Rather, if approached thoughtfully and strategically, HR will host this crucial discussion, with all other business leaders recognizing the imperative of earning a place at this HR-led table.
