- Box finds 2 in 3 ITDMs expect headcount to grow over next three years as AI advances
- New roles – such as agent operators and automation specialists – will emerge
- Almost all ITDMs admit that stronger governance would help
New research from Box has claimed that two in three (65%) UK IT decision-makers expect total headcount to grow over the next three years, not shrink.
In fact, only 14% believe that the number of employees will decrease, and the consensus generally points towards AI creating new jobs, not replacing human workers.
This shift in narrative comes at an important time for AI as it evolves from experimentation to actual implementation.
AI creates new roles and does not eliminate them completely
Box now believes we are entering the era of the ‘agentic enterprise’, where AI agents are embedded in everyday workflows and have knowledge and context throughout the organization, but even as they become more sophisticated and skilled, the effects on human workers are expected to be positive.
Of all the companies using or testing AI agents, only 8% say they have led to job losses today.
Among the roles more likely to be created are AI agent operators within IT teams – almost half (48%) of all organizations are hiring for this role. Workflow automation specialists (32%), security, risk and compliance professionals (31%), change management and AI enablement roles (31%), and AI ethics and governance specialists (26%) are also crucial opportunities for human employees.
“As organizations embrace the next phase of artificial intelligence, the focus is increasingly shifting from individual productivity gains to transforming how work gets done,” commented EMEA President Samantha Wessels.
Although only about one in three companies employ security professionals, the opportunities could grow further as nearly one in two (45%) experience an AI-related data exposure incident.
Rather than framing the possibilities as limited, where either humans or AI help achieve goals, Box proposes a higher ceiling where AI and humans can work together to push goals even further. Most ITDMs (94%) now believe better governance would help them adopt agent AI faster.
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