Research from The Josh Bersin Company, the world’s most trusted HR advisory firm, predicts a major shift in enterprise HR operations in 2026, as AI tools evolve from simple assistants into semi-autonomous “agents” and coordinated “superagents” that automate core people processes at scale.
Key Points
The research firm has identified more than 100 agent applications across HR, grouped into "superagent families," with top use cases spanning employee services, recruiting, coaching, learning & development, and workforce management.
In L&D alone, the study found that 60–70% of work currently done by training and development teams can be automated, marking one of the largest HR transformations in decades.
The firm urges CHROs to take action within the next few months by redefining HR's corporate mission, training teams to build with AI, and executing deployment strategies, warning that the 30% figure represents a role shift, as some positions will disappear while many more emerge.
Relevance
For enterprise leaders, this signals a near-term shift from experimental AI adoption to operational dependence. HR is positioned as one of the first enterprise functions to feel material workforce and workflow changes from AI, with implications for reskilling, governance, and organizational design. Companies that delay preparation may face talent gaps, fragmented systems, and slower adoption as competitors move faster.
AI-powered superagents to cut HR headcount by 30%
by Michael Keany
on Thursday
AI Report 1/22/26
AI-powered superagents to cut HR headcount by 30%
Research from The Josh Bersin Company, the world’s most trusted HR advisory firm, predicts a major shift in enterprise HR operations in 2026, as AI tools evolve from simple assistants into semi-autonomous “agents” and coordinated “superagents” that automate core people processes at scale.
The research firm has identified more than 100 agent applications across HR, grouped into "superagent families," with top use cases spanning employee services, recruiting, coaching, learning & development, and workforce management.
In L&D alone, the study found that 60–70% of work currently done by training and development teams can be automated, marking one of the largest HR transformations in decades.
The firm urges CHROs to take action within the next few months by redefining HR's corporate mission, training teams to build with AI, and executing deployment strategies, warning that the 30% figure represents a role shift, as some positions will disappear while many more emerge.
For enterprise leaders, this signals a near-term shift from experimental AI adoption to operational dependence. HR is positioned as one of the first enterprise functions to feel material workforce and workflow changes from AI, with implications for reskilling, governance, and organizational design. Companies that delay preparation may face talent gaps, fragmented systems, and slower adoption as competitors move faster.