Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) plan to significantly increase their use of digital labor, especially AI agents, over the next two years to boost productivity.
Salesforce conducted a global survey of 200 HR executives to understand their views on integrating AI into the workplace.
CHROs To Increase Use of Digital Labour Over Next Two Years: Salesforce’s Report
A strong majority (77%) of CHROs believe AI agents will become a core part of the workforce, changing organizational structures and functions.
AI agents are viewed as a central business strategy, not just a secondary innovation.
CHROs expect AI agent deployment to grow by 327% within two years, leading to a projected 30% increase in productivity.
AI implementation is also predicted to reduce labor costs by 19%.
This transition will drive major changes in skill requirements and company structures, requiring 24% of the global workforce to be redeployed.
These findings underscore AI’s transformative role in shaping the future of work, and HR leaders are expected to lead this change.
80% CHROs Believe Humans and AI Agents Will Collaborate
By 2030, 80% of CHROs believe humans and AI agents will collaborate in most companies.
Almost 90% of CHROs plan to integrate AI agents into their workforces.
By 2027, the use of agentic AI is expected to rise from 15% to 64%, though 36% of CHROs have no current plans to adopt it.
The healthiest, most competitive companies in the future will rely on digital labor; nearly 40% may fail in an AI-first economy if they don’t adapt.
CHROs anticipate immediate productivity improvements, but note that further evaluation is needed to understand long-term efficiency and effectiveness.
Over 80% of HR leaders intend to reskill their workforce to meet the demands of an AI-driven economy.
Success metrics will evolve, with less emphasis on effort and experience and more on outcomes enabled by AI’s scalable capabilities.
Reskilling priorities will include data and AI literacy, along with soft skills like collaboration and relationship-building.
77% of CHROs believe AI will transform organizational structures.
89% of CHROs believe AI will open up new, more impactful roles for human workers by taking over routine tasks.
61% Employees To Collaborate With AI, 23% To Be Redeployed By 2027
61% of employees are expected to remain in their roles while collaborating with AI, while 23% will be redeployed by 2027.
88% of CHROs believe internal redeployment is more cost-effective than hiring new external talent.
Currently, 81% of CHROs are either already reskilling employees (20%) or planning to do so (61%).
Salesforce has adopted this reskilling approach, aiming for a cognitive upgrade rather than transferring knowledge from humans to AI.
AI agents are intended to serve as trusted assistants that enhance human performance through speed, intelligence, and scale.
Only 15% of companies have fully implemented AI agents, indicating that most are still early in their digital labor journey.
85% of businesses haven’t adopted agentic AI, and CHROs are encouraged to partner with IT and R&D to accelerate progress.
CHROs anticipate growth in IT, R&D, and sales teams due to agent adoption, while more technical roles will require greater AI and data literacy.
AI literacy is identified as the top skill needed for the agentic economy.
75% of CHROs say AI agents will increase the demand for soft skills, which are difficult to teach but essential.
Employees will be reassigned to relationship-driven roles, especially in customer service, operations, and finance, where team sizes may shrink due to AI efficiencies.
Most employees are still unaware of how AI agents will affect their jobs, emphasizing the need for managers to guide this transition.
