Microsoft: get used to working with AI-powered "digital colleagues"

Some of us prefer AI to human coworkers because we're worried about being judged or sharing credit, according to Microsoft, with a report saying workers will need to become the "boss" of AI agents and accept the technology as "digital colleagues" rather than just tools.

Microsoft used a survey of 31,000 people globally, Microsoft 365 Telemetry, and LinkedIn hiring trends to predict the future of work for its 2025 Work Trend Index, an annual report looking into how technology will impact how organizations operate.

The research found that 80% of the global workforce surveyed reported lacking the time or energy to do their work, with 82% of leaders saying they intend to use "digital labor" to address such concerns and expand their workforce in the next year or so.

And that means we'll be working with more AI agents, the report suggests.

Already, 46% of leaders surveyed by Microsoft reported that their companies are using agents to fully automate work streams or business processes, particularly in customer service, marketing, and product development – though it added that organizations need to consider a new key metric: the human-agent ratio.

"Getting that ratio right will be critical – and task-specific," Jared Spartaro, CMO of AI at Work for Microsoft, wrote in a blog post. "Whether it's a customer conversation, a strategic decision, or a product launch, knowing how to staff the right mix of humans and agents will define how work gets done – and how success is measured."

Be the boss (of AI)

Alongside that, Microsoft predicted that every staffer will become the boss – but this isn't a sudden shift to a flat organizational chart or equality for all employees.

Instead, workers will have to learn how to manage AI agents, including building them as well as delegating tasks and managing output. The research showed that four in ten leaders believe their staff will be training and managing agents within four years.

"From the boardroom to the frontline, every worker will need to think like the CEO of an agent-powered startup," wrote Spartaro, though he acknowledged every industry and role will evolve differently as it uses AI.

AI helpers don't judge

The research also suggests some of us might appreciate our AI coworkers – for their constant availability as well as their inability to judge us for our failings.

Microsoft asked why human workers turned to AI agents for help, 42% cited always-on availability and 30% pointed to speed and quality, but some offered less positive responses.

According to the report, 17% said they used AI out of "fear of human judgement" and noted that AI feels "more private", while 16% said they did it to avoid the friction of working with colleagues who get frustrated or impatient, while 15% said they were tired of explaining themselves to colleagues.

And a final 8% said they asked AI for help rather than a colleague to avoid having to share credit for work. Microsoft noted those reasons were the least frequent responses: "This suggests

people prefer using AI not to replace the value humans provide, but to enhance it," the report said.

That said, Microsoft said we should get used to AI agents as coworkers rather than software – and some already do, with 52% of respondents saying they see AI as a command-based tool, while 46% see it as a thought partner to help brainstorm. "Digital colleagues aren't just tools, they're teammates, capable of initiating action, managing projects, and adapting in real time," the report added.