AI Agents Could Soon Become Full-Time Virtual Employees – eWEEK
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The age of digital workers is no longer science fiction. According to a new report, it is on the horizon.
AI-powered virtual employees could hit the workforce within a year, according to Jason Clinton, chief information security officer at Anthropic. In comments to Axios, Clinton noted that, while the technology is advancing fast, major security hurdles remain before fully autonomous digital workers become a reality.
The concept behind agentic AI isn’t new. Researchers and developers have been leveraging AI agents for several years, and they’re often used to introduce a level of autonomy that isn’t typically seen in typical AI systems. Modern AI agents are capable of many autonomous activities, including:
The concept of a virtual workforce takes the automation seen in agentic AI to the next level. Not only will virtual workers be able to simulate human actions, collect data, and make key decisions, but they’ll also have their own virtual memories. The AI workers even have their own system login credentials.
However, Clinton pointed out key issues that need to be addressed, including security issues, before agentic AI can replace human workers.
For example, what happens if their accounts are phished, hacked, or otherwise compromised? How much network access should they have? Perhaps even more importantly, who will be held accountable if something goes wrong?
“In that world, there are so many problems that we haven’t solved yet from a security perspective that we need to solve,” Clinton said.
Recognizing these risks, some cybersecurity developers have already started rolling out solutions. New software, including various AI governance tools, is emerging to help monitor and manage “non-human entities” as they enter the workplace.
But security issues are just the tip of the iceberg. Legal and ethical questions about workforce displacement, algorithmic bias, and digital accountability exist. Policymakers and businesses may need to grapple with this dilemma before machines displace large numbers of workers. A recent eWeek article included how humans might make a living if AI takes over the workforce.
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© 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
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This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
The age of digital workers is no longer science fiction. According to a new report, it is on the horizon.
AI-powered virtual employees could hit the workforce within a year, according to Jason Clinton, chief information security officer at Anthropic. In comments to Axios, Clinton noted that, while the technology is advancing fast, major security hurdles remain before fully autonomous digital workers become a reality.
The concept behind agentic AI isn’t new. Researchers and developers have been leveraging AI agents for several years, and they’re often used to introduce a level of autonomy that isn’t typically seen in typical AI systems. Modern AI agents are capable of many autonomous activities, including:
The concept of a virtual workforce takes the automation seen in agentic AI to the next level. Not only will virtual workers be able to simulate human actions, collect data, and make key decisions, but they’ll also have their own virtual memories. The AI workers even have their own system login credentials.
However, Clinton pointed out key issues that need to be addressed, including security issues, before agentic AI can replace human workers.
For example, what happens if their accounts are phished, hacked, or otherwise compromised? How much network access should they have? Perhaps even more importantly, who will be held accountable if something goes wrong?
“In that world, there are so many problems that we haven’t solved yet from a security perspective that we need to solve,” Clinton said.
Recognizing these risks, some cybersecurity developers have already started rolling out solutions. New software, including various AI governance tools, is emerging to help monitor and manage “non-human entities” as they enter the workplace.
But security issues are just the tip of the iceberg. Legal and ethical questions about workforce displacement, algorithmic bias, and digital accountability exist. Policymakers and businesses may need to grapple with this dilemma before machines displace large numbers of workers. A recent eWeek article included how humans might make a living if AI takes over the workforce.
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.
Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.
Property of TechnologyAdvice.
© 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
