WEF 2026: AI to Augment Human Workforce, Not Replace Jobs, Say Industry Leaders

New Delhi - Artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace human jobs but will instead reshape the workplace by automating tasks and enhancing human productivity, leading technology executives said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos.

Speaking at a WEF session, Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Workera, emphasized the importance of precise language when discussing AI. He said he does not support referring to AI systems as “agents” or “co-workers,” noting that while AI is highly effective at specific tasks, it cannot replicate the breadth of an entire human job.

“Humans perform hundreds of tasks at any given time,” Katanforoosh said, adding that predictions of widespread job replacement by AI have so far proven inaccurate.

Munjal Shah, Co-founder and CEO of Hippocratic AI, echoed this view, stating that AI will augment human employees at scale rather than replace them. He envisioned a future with “eight billion people and 80 billion AIs,” where most AI systems unlock new use cases instead of displacing existing roles.

Shah cited an example of an AI system deployed during a heatwave that contacted thousands of people to guide them to cooler locations and provide health advice. He noted that achieving reliability required extensive validation. “We have models that check models that check models,” he said.

Kate Kallot, Founder and CEO of Amini, stressed that AI remains a tool and is not capable of making value-based decisions. She said AI cannot independently determine optimal outcomes because it lacks the necessary contextual and ethical inputs.

BCG CEO Christoph Schweizer said working with AI can feel similar to collaborating with a colleague. “You are now in a reality where it feels like a co-worker, whether you call it that or not,” he said. However, Schweizer argued that success with AI depends more on organizational change than on the technology itself.

“Companies will succeed if they fundamentally change how their people work,” he said, adding that AI should be treated as a “CEO-level issue” rather than something that can be delegated.

Enrique Lores, President and CEO of HP, called for a balanced approach to AI adoption, cautioning against holding AI systems to higher standards than human employees. He noted that while AI deployed in HP’s call centres sometimes produces incorrect responses, overall accuracy has improved, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

With inputs from IANS