The World Economic Forum in Davos 2025 has brought a critical question to the forefront of business leadership: how should companies manage AI agents as employees? Agentic AI—artificial intelligence that can act and make decisions independently without constant user input—has emerged as the dominant topic among business leaders seeking tangible returns on their AI investments.
Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin revealed that her HR software company was ahead of the curve when it announced plans last year to treat AI workers like human employees, complete with official employee records and onboarding processes. The initiative faced immediate backlash from human employees and was paused, but Franklin now believes the concept was “really prescient” and only “ahead by months.” With AI agents becoming mainstream, companies including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic—all Lattice customers—are grappling with similar workforce integration challenges.
Alan Flower, global head of AI at HCLTech, emphasized the unprecedented complexity facing managers who will soon oversee both human and agentic workforces simultaneously. “My agents are going to have to collaborate with agents from another company,” Flower explained, raising questions about how employers will broker collaboration between AI agents and motivate them to perform effectively. He questioned whether AI agents will eventually be assigned key performance indicators (KPIs) like their human counterparts.
Becky Frankiewicz, chief commercial officer at ManpowerGroup, reported that companies are already asking whether they need dedicated “AI managers” for their AI agents. She cited a consulting company that has already deployed agents and is now wrestling with management structure questions. The progression is clear: first, deploy AI agents productively; second, determine how to manage them effectively.
Franklin stressed that the discussion around AI governance isn’t being taken seriously enough, noting that AI agents are already having conversations on behalf of brands and people—representing a “huge amount of trust” without proper oversight. She emphasized the urgent need for education, acknowledging that “people are more comfortable with the word ‘agent’ than they are with ‘digital worker.’” The goal, Franklin stated, is creating an environment where humans and AI can “work together in the workforce in a way that feels natural.”
Key Quotes
We were ahead, but by months.
Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin reflected on her company’s controversial 2024 announcement to treat AI workers like human employees. Despite initial backlash, the rapid emergence of agentic AI at Davos 2025 has validated her vision, suggesting the business world is quickly catching up to this reality.
As a manager, I’m going to be managing a human workforce and an agentic workforce at the same time — they’re going to have to collaborate.
Alan Flower, global head of AI at HCLTech, highlighted the unprecedented management challenge facing business leaders. This statement underscores how AI agents will fundamentally change organizational dynamics and require new leadership approaches.
Will we get to a phase where agentic AI will be given KPIs? These are all considerations that the world of work is going to have to kind of contemplate.
Flower raised the provocative question of whether AI agents will receive performance metrics like human employees. This reflects the deeper philosophical and practical questions about how to measure, motivate, and manage non-human workers.
The reality is that today, AI is being implemented as agents to have conversations on behalf of brands, on behalf of people.
Franklin emphasized that AI agents are already operating with significant autonomy and representing companies publicly. This statement highlights the urgency of developing proper governance frameworks before deployment outpaces oversight capabilities.
Our Take
The conversation at Davos 2025 reveals a critical inflection point: AI has moved from experimental technology to workforce reality. What’s particularly striking is how quickly Lattice’s “too early” announcement became prescient—a matter of months, not years. This acceleration should concern business leaders who haven’t begun planning for AI workforce integration.
The most profound insight comes from the question of AI managers. If companies need dedicated managers for AI agents, we’re not just adding tools—we’re creating an entirely new organizational layer. This suggests AI integration costs and complexity may be significantly underestimated. The inter-company agent collaboration scenario Flower describes could create unprecedented challenges around data governance, liability, and decision-making authority. The resistance Lattice encountered demonstrates that technological readiness doesn’t equal organizational or cultural readiness—a gap that could derail AI initiatives if not addressed proactively.
Why This Matters
This development represents a fundamental shift in workforce management that will reshape corporate structures and HR practices across industries. As businesses move beyond AI experimentation toward demanding measurable returns on investment, agentic AI is emerging as the practical application that delivers immediate value. The implications extend far beyond technology adoption—companies must now develop entirely new management frameworks, governance structures, and collaboration protocols for non-human workers.
The timing is critical: major AI companies are already Lattice customers, suggesting the AI industry itself is preparing for this transition. The questions raised about KPIs for AI agents, inter-company agent collaboration, and dedicated AI managers indicate we’re entering uncharted territory in organizational design. For workers, this signals an accelerated timeline for AI integration that will require adaptation and new skills. The backlash Lattice faced demonstrates the human resistance that must be addressed through education and transparent communication. As Franklin warns, AI agents are already representing brands in customer conversations—governance frameworks can’t afford to lag behind deployment.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/agentic-ai-employees-ceos-managers-bots-davos-2025-1