AI agents are becoming the biggest workplace change in 2025, with major professional services firms leading the way. The Big Four companies—Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG—have all rolled out agentic AI platforms that can do work tasks on their own without needing a person for every step. These AI systems handle things like collecting data, checking documents, and managing tax work. For example, Deloitte built Zora AI, EY created EY.ai with 80,000 workers now using it, and PwC launched agent OS with 25,000 intelligent agents already working.

However, this new technology is changing how companies hire people. Entry-level jobs are dropping significantly—down 29 percentage points since early 2024. Companies are hiring fewer recent graduates and new workers because AI can now do tasks that used to require many junior employees. At the same time, businesses are desperately looking for AI experts and engineers—these jobs are growing 25.2% per year with salaries hitting $157,000. Workers with AI skills earn 43% more money than those without these abilities.

The Big Four are changing what kind of employees they want to hire. Instead of bringing on hundreds of junior workers every year, they are building engineering career paths and looking for tech-talented people who understand AI. Companies expect that nearly two-thirds of them will hire people with specific AI skills while 40% plan to reduce their workforce where AI can do the work instead.

For businesses worldwide, this means 2026 will bring tough decisions. They must figure out how to use AI agents to work faster and smarter, but they also need to find and train workers who can manage and oversee these AI systems. The companies that adapt fastest will gain big advantages, but workers without AI knowledge may struggle to find jobs.