The week of January 5-13 brought important news about how businesses worldwide are using agentic AI—which is artificial intelligence that can work independently to solve problems and make decisions. These tools are becoming a major part of how companies operate, and the impact on workers is more complicated than many people think.

Real AI Tools in Real Workplaces

Companies across many industries are now using agentic AI in their daily work. In the United States, large insurance companies shared how they are deploying these tools everywhere in their organizations. One company uses AI to help understand insurance documents, another uses it to find the best customers to contact, and many use AI for customer service. These aren't just experiments anymore—they're becoming the normal way companies work. The companies say AI is helping their workers do their jobs faster and better, while workers get to focus on helping customers instead of doing boring paperwork.

Small businesses in the United States are also finding that AI is an equalizer—meaning it helps small companies compete with big companies. According to a LinkedIn report, AI has changed from just being a tool into a real business strategy that helps companies grow and stay strong. Small business owners say AI helps them save time, save money, and find new opportunities they might have missed.

The Layoff Story That Might Not Be True

One of the biggest stories people hear is that AI will cause huge job losses. But research from Oxford Economics, a well-known research company, suggests this story is exaggerated. The company looked at real numbers and found that firms don't appear to be replacing workers with AI on a large scale right now.

Interestingly, the research suggests some companies might be using AI as an excuse. They might say "we're cutting jobs because of AI" when really they just hired too many people before or had other business problems. It's like they're trying to make bad news sound like good news to their investors. The real data shows that AI-related job cuts in the United States are still a small part of all job losses. There are other reasons that affect jobs much more than AI right now.

The research also points out something important: if AI were really replacing workers at a big scale, companies should be making more products with fewer people, and that should be obvious in the numbers. But that's not happening yet. Productivity—meaning how much work each person does—hasn't increased as much as you might expect if AI were replacing lots of workers.

Workers Are Scared, But Not Because of AI Itself

While the job loss story might be overstated, there's a real problem: workers are afraid of AI. A study by Mercer found that many workers are worried and confused about how AI will change their jobs. The sad part is that less than 20% of workers have even talked to their manager about how AI might affect them.

Workers aren't just scared of losing their jobs—they're scared because nobody is explaining what's happening. When leaders don't communicate, workers imagine the worst. But here's the good news: the research shows that when managers show they care about their workers and help them learn new skills, workers feel much better about AI.

What Businesses Need to Do

The news this week shows that successful businesses understand something important: AI works best when workers understand it and can use it. Companies need to spend time training their workers and explaining how AI will change their jobs. Workers want to learn, but they need clear guidance and support.

Small businesses say they plan to invest in upskilling—which means helping workers learn new abilities. Large companies that started using AI early say their biggest lesson was bringing employees along on the journey, not leaving them behind. When workers see their managers using AI and understand how it helps, they become more willing to try it themselves.

The bottom line is that agentic AI is clearly becoming an important tool for businesses, but how companies use it matters a lot. Businesses that are open with their workers and invest in training will likely have happier employees and better results. The companies that try to hide what's happening or ignore worker concerns will probably face more problems.