By 2028, Agentic AI will redefine Human Work as we shift from Doing to Reviewing and Monitoring Agents!
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
🚀 By 2028, Agentic AI will transform the way we work
💡 Human roles will evolve significantly — from monitoring and feedback in the early stages to orchestration and strategic oversight as agentic integration advances. This shift demands dynamic talent pipelines and thoughtful work redesign.
🤖 Agentic AI isn’t just smarter automation. It’s a strategic blueprint for enterprises to:
✅ Achieve cost efficiency
✅ Drive revenue growth
✅ Unlock the full potential of their talent
🏆 Companies that act early — and approach autonomy as a phased transformation — will secure lasting advantage and even shape industry standards.
📊 To succeed, organizations must measure impact through Return‑on‑Autonomy (RoA) KPIs:
⚡ An agentic‑driven transformation demands more than traditional change management. It calls for a dynamic, continuously adaptive approach, one that is embedded into daily operations and culture, according to a new interesting research published by Deloitte using data 📊 from their internal clients for this prediction.
✅ The imperative and urgency for Autonomy
⏰ The strategic clock is accelerating — and organizations have less time than ever to make bold moves on AI.
Researchers point to three powerful forces compressing decision‑making windows:
1. Competitive Pressure : 77% of CEOs believe AI will shape the future of business — yet two‑thirds admit their current models aren’t ready. The gap between ambition and readiness is widening.
2. Regulatory Scrutiny: From the EU AI Act to recent US executive orders, obligations for high‑risk AI systems in government, healthcare, HR, and finance are now codified. Proactive governance and compliance are no longer optional — they’re a competitive advantage.
3. Tech Momentum: Agentic AI capabilities are maturing fast, unlocking new use cases and value streams for organizations bold enough to invest early.
✅ There will be a shift in Human role to Review and monitor agents
Three macro forces are compressing the timeframe for critical decision-making related to AI: competitive pressure, regulatory scrutiny, and advancing technology. Today, sophisticated agentic AI assistants handle a variety of structured tasks. By 2028, they are projected to become autonomous partners that tackle complex, multistep problems and proactively shape decision-making.
✅ The different levels of autonomy : The Autonomy Ladder
Researchers have outlined a six‑step “autonomy ladder” — a progression built on modernizing technology platforms, reskilling talent, rethinking risk management, and redesigning work at scale.
The journey unfolds across six maturity stages:
1️⃣ Assist
Pre-agent: Manual execution
2️⃣ Suggest
Semi-autonomy: AI proposes options (single step)
3️⃣ Execute
Contextual autonomy: AI completes bounded tasks
4️⃣ Orchestrate
Adaptive contextual autonomy: Multistep workflow, human exceptions
5️⃣ Optimize
Domain autonomy: End-to-end, minimal oversight
6️⃣ Self‑Evolve
Full strategic autonomy: Self‑governing, self‑improving agent mesh
☝️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
I really find these Deloitte findings interesting. It’s amazing to see how quickly the shift is coming: by 2028, many workers may find their roles evolving from doing to primarily reviewing and monitoring intelligent agents. And yet, 2028 is not so far away — and it’s clear that not all organizations will be ready to reach this stage.
The future of work isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about elevating human value — moving us into roles of oversight, orchestration, and strategic judgment — while building organizations that are agile, resilient, and truly future‑ready.
Those who embrace this transformation thoughtfully will not only adapt, but also set the standards for what comes next.
Thank you 🙏 Deloitte researchers team for these insightful findings: Caroline A. Ritter Vivek Kulkarni Prakul Sharma Greg Vert
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Change Catalyst | Empowering Leaders to scale change through people, purpose and agility ✦ Author Purpose Driven People ✦ Keynote Speaker ✦ Enterprise Transformation ✦ Obeya Coach & Builder
2dSuch a timely post Nicolas BEHBAHANI 2028 sounds far away, but with 2026 nearly here, this shift is already on our doorstep. Yesterday, I had an interesting discussion on the evolving role of humans in this transition. Right now, many of us use AI more like a sidekick: helping us prep workshops, letters, presentations, or even videos. But the real shift will happen when agentic AI is no longer just supporting us, but actively working with us. As part of the team. Contributing to outcomes. Holding space in the marketplace like we do. That is when organisations will truly feel the pivot > from humans driving the system, to humans designing and guiding it. This is no longer just about reskilling or upskilling. It means that leaders will be managing a completely different 'new' organisation. During our conversation, the question arose: if you had the choice, would you change the organisation or build a completely new one? I am curious how many companies have already embedded this into their strategy. Agility will be key — not as a method, but as a mindset to navigate, shape and lead in what is coming. Thanks again for always helping us zoom out and see what matters.
OD&D Maverick | Global HR Thought Leader | People & Culture Architect | Chartered Fellow CIPD | Chartered Manager Fellow (CMgr FCMI)
2dNicolas, your emphasis on dynamic talent pipelines is crucial. Additionally, integrating real-time feedback loops accelerates adaptation, empowering teams to continuously optimize AI-driven workflows effectively and promptly.
AI for HR Leaders & Non-Techie Beginners | HR Consultant | Helping HR Leaders in MENA Automate Workflows & Unlock 20+ Hours/Month Without IT
3dThis shift feels both urgent and exciting Nicolas BEHBAHANI Measuring RoA means tracking not just what’s automated, but how human judgment scales alongside it. The real value isn’t in replacing tasks—it’s in redesigning roles so people can lead, guide, and shape what comes next.
Co-founder at Devstark | Business operations automation | Trucking and logistics nerd at heart
3dWhat’s often overlooked is that each step up the ladder demands a parallel maturity in governance. Without robust human-in-the-loop design, the jump from orchestration to optimization could expose firms to more risk than reward.
Founder @ REVA | Revolutionizing Real Estate with AI | Swipe. Match. Buy.
3dReturn-on-Autonomy isn’t a metric. It’s a mirror. It shows how much of your organization still needs permission to think.