A recent Microsoft report suggests that employees are increasingly preferring AI over human coworkers due to concerns about being judged or sharing credit. The tech giant’s 2025 Work Trend Index, which surveyed 31,000 people globally, predicts that workers will need to become the ‘boss’ of AI agents and view them as ‘digital colleagues’ rather than just tools.
The report, compiled using Microsoft 365 Telemetry and LinkedIn hiring trends, found that 80% of the global workforce feels overwhelmed by their workload, with 82% of leaders intending to use ‘digital labor’ to address these concerns and expand their workforce in the near future. This shift will likely lead to increased collaboration between humans and AI agents.
Already, 46% of leaders surveyed reported using AI agents to fully automate certain work streams or business processes, particularly in customer service, marketing, and product development. However, Microsoft emphasizes the importance of achieving the right ‘human-agent ratio,’ which will be critical to success.
“Getting that ratio right will be critical – and task-specific,” wrote Jared Spartaro, CMO of AI at Work for Microsoft. “Whether it’s a customer conversation, a strategic decision, or a product launch, knowing how to staff the right mix of humans and agents will define how work gets done – and how success is measured.”
The report suggests that every worker will need to develop skills to manage AI agents effectively, including building, delegating tasks, and managing output. Four in ten leaders believe their staff will be training and managing AI agents within four years.
The research also highlights the reasons why employees prefer working with AI agents. While 42% cited their constant availability and 30% praised their speed and quality, some respondents revealed less positive motivations. Seventeen percent used AI due to a ‘fear of human judgment,’ while 16% wanted to avoid friction with colleagues, and 8% preferred AI to avoid sharing credit for their work.
Despite these varied reasons, Microsoft notes that people are not using AI to replace human value but to enhance it. As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace, employees will need to adapt to viewing AI agents as ‘digital colleagues’ rather than just software tools. The report concludes that ‘digital colleagues aren’t just tools, they’re teammates, capable of initiating action, managing projects, and adapting in real time.’
