Managers, Move Aside. Agentic AI Is Here to Help

Workers were more likely to turn to an AI agent for the answer to an obvious question than their own manager, in a new study.

While AI is changing hybrid, on-site, and remote workers differently, the study finds current company-wide training schemes may be insufficient, and workers are turning to other education tools.

Managerial roles and general workplace structures could change as workers turn more and more to AI, but the study shows we may not be at a place to trust AI completely yet.

Workers Would Rather Ask AI than Managers

In a new study from Adobe Business, 68% of workers reported turning to agentic AI for answers to easy questions, compared to only 4% that ask their manager. Overall, the study found workers were 17 times more likely to ask an AI agent questions they’d hesitate to ask leadership.

Similarly, more than half (54%) of respondents prefer using agentic AI to draft difficult or high-stakes messages, compared to the 23% that turn to managers or peers. Plus, 62% turn to AI for recapping an important meeting, versus 10% that turn to managers.

These findings suggest AI is becoming a trusted, judgement-free colleague for many workers. The study surveyed over 1,000 full-time employees who use AI weekly, with the goal of understanding how agentic AI has become part of every day tasks.

Agentic AI Training Is Lacking

According to the study, the next wave of AI, agents, are here, with 92% of AI users having adopted agentic AI at work. Workers, however, are using AI differently based on their work location. Hybrid and onsite workers mostly use the technology for idea generation and brainstorming, whereas remote workers use it for content creation and drafting.

Similarly, nearly three in four (73%) of workers say AI has improved their job performance, suggesting workers’ confidence as well as their efficiency has been positively impacted. 50% of workers also report freeing up time for higher-value work, and 38% say it has improved productivity.

However, the study finds a steady gap across all job levels when it comes to AI training. When asked the ways they have learned to use agentic AI, over half (54%) of workers said they had used trial and error, and 36% said YouTube. Meanwhile, only a quarter of respondents said they’d learned through collaboration.

That isn’t to say companies aren’t providing any training at all, it just may be the case that training programs aren’t providing all workers need or want to know. In fact, the study found one in three users had received formal agentic AI training, but fewer than half of those trained have gone on to build their own custom agent.

How AI Could Shift Workplace Structures

There’s a convincing argument to be made around AI shifting corporate structures. With access to more advanced tools, workers may be able to complete some tasks more quickly than their managers. Likewise, as AI skills become more and more desirable within roles, those with more knowledge may find it easier to make an impact, even if they have less experience.

Where we might also see significant change is for remote workers. Compared to on-site workers in the study, remote workers saw 17% higher productivity and a 35% greater reduction in imposter syndrome.

Traditionally, remote workers don’t always have access to managers or employees to check in with. AI could help provide this support, potentially improving employee wellbeing and lowering work stress.

However, despite these positive findings, it’s unlikely we’ll see AI replacing any structures yet. The study found 43% of workers prefer to check a risky idea with a colleague, compared to 39% who would turn to AI. This suggests trust and reassurance is still best received by a human colleague, and that AI may be too young in its current iteration for workers to fully trust its judgement.