AI agents: Your new co-workers

AI Agents: Unlocking Workplace Productivity and Navigating the Future of Work

The Web Summit Lisbon 2025 panel, moderated by Mr. Dan Milmo, Global Technology Editor at The Guardian, discussed “AI agents: Your new co-workers.” Panelists Mr. Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean; Ms. Sarah Franklin, CEO of Lattice; and Mr. Jaroslaw Kutylowski, CEO & Co-Founder of DeepL, explored AI’s promise of higher productivity. Mr. Jain detailed Glean’s integration of AI agents across departments, handling 80% of customer care tickets and contributing to code. Ms. Franklin noted Lattice uses agents for back-office and go-to-market functions, boosting effectiveness.

Mr. Kutylowski emphasized DeepL’s agnostic approach, deploying AI based on its capabilities in customer service, language, coding, marketing, and sales. Mr. Jain predicted AI agents would become fundamental to every role, aiding humans across all teams, including finance and legal, by automating initial drafts like contract redlining. The overarching goal is to make every employee twice as productive with AI.

Ms. Franklin highlighted that AI fosters a new, blended work environment, improving communication, collaboration, and alignment. This transformation enables new skill sets, like marketers learning to code, driving organizational change. Mr. Kutylowski explained that in translation, AI handles initial drafts, freeing human translators to focus on critical decisions regarding style, expression, and compliance, shifting job requirements from “grunt work” to judgment-based tasks.

The panel addressed the crucial aspect of trust in AI co-workers. Mr. Jain stated AI often surpasses humans in research-intensive, comprehensive tasks due to its tireless nature. He likened reviewing AI’s work to human colleagues, emphasizing that confidence grows with feedback. He noted that not all tasks demand ultimate precision, making AI suitable for data enrichment where some inaccuracy is acceptable, while critical tasks require human review.

Ms. Franklin stressed that trust is fundamentally built on transparency and accountability, acknowledging AI’s inherent inaccuracy, similar to humans. She advocated for robust governance and controls, ensuring clear accountability for errors. Mr. Kutylowski reinforced the need for human judgment, distinguishing between tasks like simple email translations and critical documents, such as nuclear power plant manuals, which absolutely require human oversight for safety and accountability.

For those concerned about job displacement, Mr. Jain advised proactively learning to leverage AI tools, becoming an expert user. He suggested that fast-growing companies could re-skill employees for new opportunities. Ms. Franklin encouraged curiosity and courage, urging individuals to identify tasks for automation to increase their value. Mr. Kutylowski advocated for embracing AI and channeling creativity to discover new applications, positioning oneself favorably in the evolving workforce.