The Rise of AI Agent Platforms in 2025

Major professional services companies took a huge step forward in 2025 by rolling out powerful AI agent platforms. Deloitte launched Zora AI, a new system built with Nvidia that creates what the company calls "intelligent digital workers". These aren't simple chatbots—they are sophisticated AI agents that can independently complete complex tasks without constant human supervision. Meanwhile, EY introduced EY.ai, giving 80,000 of its tax staff members access to 150 different AI agents that handle tasks like collecting data, reviewing documents, and checking tax compliance. These platforms represent a major shift in how professional firms operate, moving beyond using AI to simply help workers to using AI agents that can actually do the work itself.

How AI Agents Are Changing Jobs Right Now

The introduction of these AI agent systems is already reshaping what employees do every day. According to industry experts, new employees at firms like PwC will soon be managing AI agents instead of doing routine audit work. This means the day-to-day tasks that junior staff used to handle—checking documents, organizing data, finding patterns in numbers—are increasingly being done by AI agents. The work that disappears first is repetitive, boring work, which might sound good, but it also means companies need fewer junior-level workers. Entry-level hiring has dropped significantly, with 29% fewer entry-level positions available since January 2024. This creates a problem for young people trying to start their careers, because the first jobs that used to teach them the basics are vanishing.

The Entry-Level Job Crisis

The impact on workers trying to enter the job market has been dramatic and concerning. Job postings for entry-level positions plummeted by 29 percentage points since the beginning of 2024, representing an unprecedented collapse in opportunities for new workers. In technology and finance industries, the decline has been even steeper. This isn't just about fewer jobs overall—it's about a broken path into career development. Historically, workers would start in entry-level positions, learn skills, get promoted, and gradually move up the ladder. That system is breaking down. The unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22-27 hit 4.8% as of June 2025, which is notably higher than the overall national rate of 4.0%.

Companies Investing Heavily in Employee Training

Recognizing the challenge, major companies are making huge investments in training existing employees. EY is investing more than $1 billion annually in AI platforms and has advanced 1,000 AI agents into active use, with plans to scale to 100,000 by 2028. The company took a smart approach: nearly 100,000 EY employees—about one-quarter of the entire workforce—earned a digital "AI badge" by completing new AI learning programs. This shows that companies understand they can't just swap out workers for AI agents; they need to help existing employees learn how to work effectively with these new tools. In January, EY even rolled out an AI tool that helps employees understand exactly how their specific jobs will change because of AI, so workers can prepare and adapt.

The Skill Premium and Wage Growth

One bright spot in this challenging landscape is that workers who successfully learn AI skills are being rewarded with significantly higher pay. Workers with AI skills are earning 43% more than colleagues in the same role without those skills, according to research from PwC. This is up from just 25% the previous year, showing that the wage advantage for AI skills is growing rapidly. For workers willing to invest time in learning these tools, the financial benefits can be substantial. However, there's a catch: while 75% of U.S. employers say they're making lifelong learning a top priority, only 26% of employees actually received training on AI tools their companies expect them to use. This gap between what companies expect and what they're actually teaching creates real frustration for workers trying to upskill.

Changing Workplace Dynamics and Employee Departures

The pressure from AI is also changing who works at major firms. Senior partners—the highest-ranking people inside these companies—are increasingly leaving the Big Four for midsize organizations and startups. These leaders cite faster pace, better opportunities for promotion, and the chance to participate in the next wave of AI innovation as reasons for leaving. This reveals something important: even very successful, highly-paid workers feel squeezed by rapid AI changes at large firms. They're seeking environments where they can grow and innovate more freely. This creates additional pressure on large professional services firms, as they lose experienced leaders while simultaneously cutting entry-level hiring.

Return-to-Office Mandates Clashing with Worker Preferences

An additional challenge emerged as companies tried to manage their workforces during rapid AI transformation. Major tech companies, including Amazon and Dell, implemented full-time office mandates, and the U.S. federal government made one of the biggest moves with President Trump's January 2025 executive order affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. However, workers are pushing back. 46% of hybrid and remote workers say they would likely leave if forced back to full-time office work, and 80% of companies already lost talented employees because of return-to-office mandates by mid-2025. This creates a difficult situation where companies trying to use AI to become more efficient simultaneously lose experienced workers who value flexibility.

Looking Ahead: What Workers Need to Know

The fundamental message for workers is clear: the traditional employment model has fundamentally broken. The predictable path from education to entry-level job to steady career advancement no longer works the way it did for previous generations. At the same time, AI moved from being an experiment to being essential to your career, with 83% of companies now using AI resume screening. Workers who want to stay competitive must develop AI literacy and understanding. The companies that are succeeding right now recognize that combining AI efficiency with human judgment produces the best results, rather than simply replacing workers with technology. For individual workers, the path forward involves continuous learning, developing AI skills, and being willing to adapt as job descriptions and responsibilities change.