AI's infusion in businesses means a reconsideration of the traditional org chart, writes BI's Lakshmi Varanasi.
The "Great Flattening" is still all the rage, but the rise of AI agents requires their management and oversight.
Some see individual contributors having to take on more managerial responsibilities for AI agents. That blurring of lines is becoming common. McKinsey, for example, is looking for "5Xers," or people who are deep on one topic but can also do a handful of other things well.
Others think it could lead to an era of so-called "megamanagers."
Before you start dusting off your old management textbooks, understand this is not your parents' type of manager. When it comes to AI agents, a lot of the management needs are more about hard, technical skills than soft ones. Cyber risk, in particular, remains high on the list of concerns for AI agents.
(Although, as the tech continues to develop, who knows if AI will eventually develop feelings and a consciousness you'll need to handle.)
There will still likely be some level of human management, but it might be more around understanding how to team up AI agents and real workers effectively.
There's another reason to lean into AI-agent management.
Companies want employees to go beyond mere AI use. They're assessing whether workers truly understand the tech, which means they can apply it effectively where needed, writes Lakshmi.
Basically, it's not enough to know the answers. You now need to show your work.
That might sound like another big hurdle for workers already dealing with an onslaught of change these days. But management of AI agents could be the solution.
Getting hands-on experience overseeing and tweaking these agents gives workers a better understanding of the tech. It's not just about including an AI tool in your workflow. The constant back-and-forth could help employees better recognize biases or blind spots in agents.
All of that experience is likely to make them more valuable to their company. Maybe just don't let the agent get too good.
Otherwise, you could be the one reporting into it.