Technology powered by artificial intelligence has rapidly become a major part of modern workplaces and businesses. From advanced robots to automated digital assistants, these tools are increasingly being used across different industries. Now, Microsoft AI Chief Mustafa Suleyman has claimed that many office-based jobs could be heavily automated over the next year to year and a half as these systems continue to improve. Suleyman said, “human-level performance on most, if not all, professional tasks” is being done by AI.
In a conversation with the Financial Times, Mustafa Suleyman said technology is advancing quickly and could soon handle many workplace tasks at a level similar to humans.
He noted that office-based professions that rely heavily on computers — including legal services, accounting, marketing, and project coordination — may face the biggest impact from these changes.
The remarks from Mustafa Suleyman add to the growing view shared by technology leaders like Dario Amodei, who have repeatedly suggested in recent years that many tasks currently handled by people could eventually be managed by advanced digital systems.
Advanced systems could take over work currently done by professionals:
Mustafa Suleyman said the fast pace of growth in computing technology is a strong indication that advanced systems could take over work currently done by many skilled professionals. He explained that as computing power improves, software systems may eventually become better than most human coders at programming-related tasks.
Others in the tech industry, including Sam Altman and investor Chamath Palihapitiya, have also expressed concern about how quickly technology is progressing, with some saying it could reduce the value of expertise that people have spent years developing.
Technology is moving beyond helping workers and toward fully automating tasks:
Until now, AI has mostly been promoted as tools that help people work faster and more efficiently. However, Mustafa Suleyman believes the focus may soon shift from assisting workers to independently handling many tasks.
He said that within the next few years, advanced digital agents could oversee workflows inside companies, organise operations, and make decisions with very little human involvement.
Suleyman also suggested that building custom digital systems may become much simpler in the future. According to him, creating specialised software tools could eventually become as easy as starting a blog or producing online content, allowing businesses and individuals to develop systems tailored to their own needs.
Mustafa Suleyman also said that developing advanced digital systems may become far simpler in the future. He compared it to creating online content, suggesting that building personalised software tools could one day be as easy as launching a podcast or writing a blog. According to him, this could allow companies and individuals to create tools designed specifically for their own requirements.
Job loss due to AI:
The widespread adoption of advanced artificial intelligence has triggered a profound structural shift across global employment markets, transforming localized tech layoffs into a broader economic reality. Corporate strategies have pivotally shifted from experimental AI integration to aggressive, budget-driven automation, where human payrolls are systematically reduced to fund massive data center and hardware expansions.
This transition has hit knowledge-based and entry-level positions the hardest. Traditional “stepping-stone” corporate roles—such as routine administrative support, customer service, basic data processing, and junior software development—are rapidly shrinking as sophisticated AI agents execute multi-step workflows independently, eliminating the need for large, management-heavy teams.