Companies worldwide are preparing to hire not only humans but also artificial intelligence systems, according to Korn Ferry’s new report, which forecasts a major shift in how organisations build their workforces.
The consultancy’s TA Trends 2026 report found that 52 per cent of talent leaders plan to introduce autonomous AI agents next year. These digital co-workers will act independently by performing defined tasks with their own identities, access permissions and responsibilities.
“This isn’t some distant future scenario,” said Bryan Ackermann, Korn Ferry’s Head of AI Strategy and Transformation. “HR vendors are already creating employee records for AI agents. Microsoft is issuing them security IDs. The infrastructure for human-AI teams is being built right now.”
AI agents to enter workplaces
Korn Ferry said the shift marks a new era for recruitment and management, in which human resources departments will be expected to source, onboard, and track both people and autonomous systems.
“Hiring isn’t just about humans with heartbeats anymore,” the report said. “Leaders must learn to coordinate tasks between humans and machines, when to override AI decisions, and how to handle conflicts within mixed teams.”
Jeanne MacDonald, CEO of Korn Ferry’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing division, said that although AI will transform operations, it cannot replace human judgement.
“We need to embrace AI but not lose sight of the bigger picture. Talent acquisition is about people, and human intelligence will always be the differentiator,” she said.
By 2036, Korn Ferry predicts, autonomous agents will outnumber human workers 1,000 to 1 in customer service and play a growing role in manufacturing, logistics, and management.
Entry-level jobs face AI challenge
As companies automate rapidly, Korn Ferry cautions that replacing junior and back-office roles with AI may erode leadership pipelines and weaken future management.
The report noted that the entry-level staff being replaced today are often the same employees who would become managers and executives in the future.
“The savings look great on your 2026 budget,” the report said, “but what happens in 2029 when your most experienced employee is a bot?”
David Ellis, Senior Vice President of Talent Transformation at Korn Ferry, said cutting young recruits could leave firms without the skills needed to adapt to new technology.
“It would be a mistake to stop hiring entry-level people,” he said. “These are the fastest adopters of new technology. If you don’t have these people, but your competitors do, then your rivals are going to be faster and more agile.”
Korn Ferry urged companies to redesign, not eliminate, junior roles by allowing AI to handle routine work so that humans can focus on creativity, problem-solving, and relationship management. It also advised organisations to link succession planning with AI readiness, a step only 22 per cent of surveyed companies have taken.
By the next decade, Korn Ferry expects talent acquisition to evolve from filling jobs to orchestrating hybrid ecosystems of employees, contractors, and AI systems. The challenge, it said, will be ensuring that organisations retain innovation and humanity in a workplace increasingly shared with machines.
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