Hybrid Workforces: AI Transforms Business Now

Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, has set the stage for a major change in how companies work. At the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, he made a bold claim: current business leaders may be the last who manage teams made up only of human employees. Instead, he sees a future where human workers and artificial intelligence (AI) agents work side by side in a hybrid workforce. This idea has caught the attention of finance professionals around the globe, as it may reshape how businesses use their resources and make decisions.

Benioff’s vision is not just talk. It comes at a time when many industries are already using AI to boost their performance. AI is now a part of many everyday business operations. For example, in healthcare, AI helps predict which patients might be readmitted to hospital and helps schedule appointments more efficiently. In retail, tools such as Salesforce’s Commerce Cloud use AI to give customers product recommendations and to set prices that can lead to higher sales. These are clear signs that AI is not waiting on the sidelines but is already part of the team.

One of the key ideas Benioff shared is that AI will not replace humans completely. Instead, AI will work with people, making tasks easier and faster to complete. In finance, this could mean using AI to detect fraud or to help with investment strategies. AI tools can process large amounts of data in seconds, something that would take humans much longer. However, the human element is still important. People are needed to guide AI, make final decisions, and handle tasks that require empathy and creativity.

The concept of a hybrid workforce is simple. Imagine a team where some workers are humans and others are smart computer systems. These AI agents are not just basic robots or simple programmes. They are advanced systems capable of handling tasks like data analysis, customer service, and even complex decision-making. Salesforce has been at the forefront of this change. Their Einstein platform is a good example of how AI can be integrated into different parts of a business. Einstein helps companies in various fields by improving how they manage their work and serve their customers.

The change is not just about technology; it is about leadership too. Benioff’s prediction means that future CEOs will have to learn new skills. They will need to understand how to work with both people and machines. This means learning how to manage digital workers who can perform tasks that were once done only by humans. It also means that leaders will have to find new ways to encourage teamwork between human employees and AI systems. This is a big challenge, and not all current leaders may be ready for it.

In many ways, this vision is both exciting and controversial. Some people worry that as AI takes on more roles, human jobs may become less secure. They point to the fact that AI can do many tasks faster and without error. On the other hand, supporters of the hybrid workforce idea, like Benioff, believe that AI will free humans from routine tasks. This will allow employees to focus on work that requires critical thinking and creativity. The truth may lie somewhere in between. While AI is likely to change many job roles, it is also likely to create new opportunities that we cannot yet imagine.

The finance sector is one of the industries that stand to gain a lot from this transformation. Financial institutions already use AI to detect fraud and manage risk. As AI becomes more advanced, it could help in areas like investment decisions and customer service. For example, AI can analyse vast amounts of market data to find trends and patterns. This can lead to smarter and quicker investment choices. However, there is also the risk that relying too much on AI might lead to problems if the technology fails or is misused. This is why human oversight will remain crucial.

One important example of AI in action is Salesforce’s Intelligent Document Processing. This feature helps businesses manage their documents better by using AI to read and understand content. In a busy office, this can save time and reduce errors. Another example is Salesforce Flow, which uses AI to streamline workflows. These tools show that AI is already helping companies work more efficiently. They also point to a future where many more processes will be handled by smart systems.

Different industries are adopting AI at different rates. The technology industry leads the way, with more than 60% of companies using AI tools. Healthcare and manufacturing are close behind, using AI for everything from patient care to predicting when machines might need maintenance. Retail and e-commerce also use AI to improve the shopping experience. Even the energy sector, including oil and gas, is finding ways to use AI for tasks like reservoir modelling and predictive maintenance. However, some sectors, like construction and parts of retail, are slower to adopt AI. This means that while the future is hybrid, the change will not happen evenly across all industries.

The potential benefits of a hybrid workforce are clear. Combining human skills with AI capabilities can lead to faster decision-making and more efficient operations. AI can handle large amounts of data quickly, leaving humans to focus on tasks that need a personal touch. This can result in better customer service, more personalised products, and even lower costs. Companies that are able to bring these two elements together may find themselves at a significant competitive advantage.

However, this transformation also raises important questions. How will companies train their leaders to work with AI? What happens to workers whose tasks can be easily done by machines? And how can businesses ensure that the integration of AI is done safely and ethically? These are questions that finance professionals and business leaders need to think about carefully. The idea of a hybrid workforce is not just a technical change; it is a fundamental shift in the way work is organised and managed.

Some experts worry about the speed of this change. They point out that if companies move too quickly, they may not give workers enough time to adapt. Others argue that slow progress could leave companies behind in the race for innovation. There is also the issue of trust. For many, trusting a machine with important decisions is a new and sometimes unsettling idea. Leaders will have to work hard to show that AI systems are reliable and that they can work well with human teams.

Despite these concerns, the move towards hybrid workforces is gathering pace. Many companies see AI as a multi-trillion-pound opportunity. By integrating AI into everyday operations, businesses can become more agile and better at responding to changes in the market. This is especially important in the finance sector, where decisions must often be made quickly and accurately. In the coming years, we can expect to see more examples of successful hybrid workforces, as well as some cases where the integration has not gone as planned. Both will offer important lessons.

The shift to a hybrid workforce is not just about technology; it is also about people. The new leaders of tomorrow will need to be comfortable with both digital tools and human relationships. They will have to learn how to encourage collaboration between humans and machines. This means understanding the strengths and limitations of both. For example, while AI can process data very quickly, it does not have the ability to understand human emotions. On the other hand, humans can adapt to changing circumstances and think creatively. Combining these two strengths could lead to a very powerful way of working.

Many industries are already experimenting with hybrid models. In software engineering, teams are using AI to help write code and test software. In customer service, AI agents can handle routine queries, freeing up human workers to tackle more complex problems. These examples show that the hybrid model is not a distant dream but a reality that is unfolding now. As more companies adopt these practices, the benefits of a hybrid workforce will become even more evident.

For finance professionals, the implications are significant. With AI handling tasks like data analysis and fraud detection, human workers can focus on strategy and relationship building. This shift may lead to a new era in finance, where decision-making is faster and more data-driven. However, it also means that professionals will need to update their skills and be ready to work alongside AI. The leaders who can balance these two worlds will be the ones who succeed in the future.

What's Next

The rise of the hybrid workforce invites us to ask several important questions. How will leaders train to manage teams that include both humans and AI? What new skills will be needed in the boardroom and on the trading floor? As technology evolves, companies must plan carefully for the change. In the near future, we expect more experiments with AI in everyday work, along with discussions about ethics, training, and job security. Finance professionals worldwide should keep a close eye on these developments. The path forward may be challenging, but it also offers the promise of a more efficient, data-driven future where human insight and digital power work together for greater success.