Companies around the world are rapidly adopting agentic AI - a new type of artificial intelligence that can work on its own to complete tasks. This weekly update covers how businesses are using this technology and what it means for workers.

Recent reports show that 86% of Canadian companies are already using agentic AI to make decisions faster. Meanwhile, companies globally are spending huge amounts of money on AI. Gartner expects global AI spending to reach $2.5 trillion this year, which is 44% more than 2025. This massive investment is changing how businesses operate and what jobs look like.

One important study called the GDPVal study tested AI on professional tasks that normally take humans seven hours. The AI finished in just 5-10 minutes, and expert judges preferred the AI's work 72% of the time. This shows how powerful agentic AI has become for knowledge work.

However, there's an interesting debate happening. Some experts say that companies are using AI as an excuse to cut workers they already over-hired, rather than AI actually replacing jobs right now. Other research found limited evidence that AI has affected actual employment to date. The story seems more complicated than simple job replacement.

Looking ahead, Gartner predicts that by 2027, companies will test for AI skills when hiring new workers, since AI proficiency is becoming as important as other basic skills. Organizations need to prepare their teams now to work alongside these intelligent agent systems.