Imagine having an AI assistant that knows you so well that it can handle your daily tasks without you lifting a finger – scheduling meetings, sending emails or even shopping online. That’s the vision behind OpenAI’s latest innovation, Operator. Instead of just providing text-based answers, the AI ​​model, scheduled for release in January 2025, can directly control computers and handle complex tasks, including booking travel, browsing the web and writing code. Operator marks a major step in “agentic AI,” autonomous systems that can take action and complete tasks without human supervision. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hailed agent AI as the “next giant breakthrough” during a latest Reddit AMA.

“Agent AI-powered systems can preserve user context and memory, enabling more natural and continuous interactions without the need to re-enter information,” Yang Yuanqing, CEO of Lenovo Group, told the Observer last month during an interview at the Lenovo Tech World event in Seattle. . “These autonomous systems build a unique private knowledge base within consumer devices that can adapt to individual needs and increase productivity without requiring any technical expertise to operate.”

Lenovo is one of many technology companies participating in this race. The PC maker recently announced “AI Now,” an agent AI system built on Meta’s Llama 3.1 that promises to make PCs smarter by turning them into personal digital assistants. AI Now can autonomously edit documents, transcribe meetings and even adjust device settings using voice commands and gestures – all without the need for an internet connection.

“The context-retention capabilities of agentic AI systems allow us to deliver a more intuitive and personalized user experience,” Yang said. “Our AI model learns from individual behavior and preferences, while this knowledge is stored securely on the device to ensure privacy and relevance.”

OpenAI’s direct rivals, including Anthropic, Microsoft, Google ( GOOGL ) and Salesforce, are also racing to develop next-generation AI agents.

Microsoft recently unveiled its autonomous AI agents for businesses, integrated with its Dynamics 365 platform, aimed at automating tasks across sales, finance and supply chains. Salesforce launched Agentforce, which enables companies to create customized AI agents for marketing, customer service and IT. Anthropic, meanwhile, introduced Claude 3.5 Sonnet, an agent AI capable of controlling computers and performing advanced coding and computing tasks.

“The rise of agent AI in areas like IT is pushing organizations to adapt,” Shruti Dhumak, a senior customer engineer at Google, told the Observer. “We will soon see a shift from humans primarily performing tasks to orchestrating them and working with AI agents to tackle more complex goals. Companies will need to invest heavily in AI talent and possibly rethink their team structures, where new roles centered on human-AI collaboration emerge.”

Could “agent AI” eliminate human jobs?

With great power comes great disruption. AI agents can take on roles that were once reserved exclusively for humans. “There will be an initial impact on the labor market where low-skilled, repetitive tasks like customer service are being phased out,” Nish Krishna, co-founder of agent AI development platform Fractionalize, told the Observer. “Even roles that require intermediate skills, such as programming and some healthcare positions, will feel the effects.”

Krishna warned that the short-term effects could be harsh, especially for older workers, some of whom may struggle to re-enter the workforce. “The field of work could be affected as companies spend more in the coming years rethinking the responsibilities of AI agents for consumption,” he said.

Some experts say it’s too early to worry. “The notion of fully autonomous AI, as promoted by leaders like Sam Altman, overlooks the enormous workforce required to operate these systems,” Annie Brown, an AI researcher at UC San Diego, told the Observer.

Peter Wang, Chief AI Innovation Officer and co-founder of Anaconda, the world’s largest provider of data science tools, believes that while the rise of AI agents may make some jobs obsolete, it will also create new opportunities. “The dynamics of the workplace will shift from collaboration being strictly human-to-human to evolving to one that includes human-to-agent partnership,” he told the Observer.

To remain competitive, workers must learn to leverage AI tools for specific tasks and industries, and companies must make proactive investments in training to help workers adapt, Wang said. “These investments could include continuous learning programs that combine technical skills, such as data literacy and API integration, with agility and problem solving.”