This weekly update reveals complex developments in how AI agents are reshaping workforces globally. In the United States, Goldman Sachs' quarterly AI Adoption Tracker showed notable progress: 9.2% of companies now use AI for production, up from 7.4% last quarter. The report highlighted that sectors like information technology, finance, and professional services are seeing the strongest productivity gains as they integrate AI into core workflows. Surprisingly, despite increased adoption, the labor market shows "limited disruption" with no significant job losses yet. Goldman Sachs economists note the employment impact remains in "early chapters," with AI-related job openings growing while broader effects unfold slowly.

Tech leaders expressed starkly different views about AI's workforce impact. Ford CEO Jim Farley warned AI will replace "literally half of all white-collar workers in the US," criticizing education systems for not preparing workers for this shift. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski echoed concerns, stating AI may cause a recession through job cuts and urging honesty about these risks. Conversely, investor Mark Cuban argued history shows technology creates new job categories, citing how secretarial roles evolved: "New companies with new jobs will come from AI and increase TOTAL employment". OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap challenged doomsday predictions, noting "no evidence" of massive displacement and comparing AI's impact to Microsoft Excel's historical role in changing work.

Productivity studies delivered sobering insights about AI agents in practice. Research with software developers found AI hampered productivity for experienced workers, who spent extra time debugging AI outputs and writing prompts. One participant noted: "It's not unlikely that [AI] might not have helped me as much as I anticipated or maybe even hampered my efforts". Supporting this, a Denmark study of 25,000 workers showed only 3% productivity gains from AI tools. MIT economist Daron Acemoglu argued markets have "overestimated productivity gains," with just 4.6% of U.S. tasks suitable for AI-driven efficiency. He cautioned against automating everything, stressing that real productivity requires "organizational adjustment" and worker training.

Corporate strategies reflect these tensions. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy confirmed AI agents will reduce some roles while creating others, stating: "We will need fewer people doing some jobs... and more people doing other types of jobs". Meanwhile, the Goldman Sachs report observed that large and medium firms are driving adoption, suggesting future workforce changes will emerge first in tech and professional services. As AI integration deepens, the key challenge will be balancing efficiency with human adaptation—a transition requiring careful planning by businesses and policymakers worldwide.