This weekly update reveals how AI agents are transforming workplaces around the world, creating both opportunities and serious challenges for businesses and workers.

A major survey by EY found that companies using advanced AI systems are seeing big wins. Nearly four out of five companies reported better innovation and productivity. However, the survey also uncovered a worrying trend: almost all companies (99%) have lost money from AI-related problems, with many losing over $1 million. The biggest issue is that companies are letting employees create their own AI agents without proper rules, which the survey calls "citizen developers".

Meanwhile, researchers discovered two very different types of workers are emerging. "Pilots" use AI to make their work better and more creative. "Passengers" just copy and paste AI responses, creating what experts call "workslop" - fancy-looking content that actually wastes everyone's time. This workslop costs companies about $186 per employee each month. For a company with 10,000 workers, that adds up to more than $9 million per year.

The impact on jobs is becoming clear. Swedish company Klarna cut its workforce in half, from 7,400 to 3,000 workers, after using AI. The CEO warned that other tech leaders are not being honest about how many jobs AI will eliminate. In the United States, about 21% of workers now use AI in their jobs, up from 16% last year. Young people looking for their first jobs are finding it especially hard because AI can now do many entry-level tasks that used to be done by new graduates.