AI has already worked its way into the daily workflow of many. And while it’s acted more as an augmenter or amplifier so far, there’s a shroud of uncertainty as to how the technology could reshape the workplace in just a few short years. Indeed, will AI eventually improve enough so that it replaces rather than augments?
As always, time will tell, but either way, the age of agentic AI has arrived, and the leading enterprise software firms might feel the need to not only embrace the technology but to double down on it via acquisitions, fast-tracked development, eating one’s own cooking, or something else.
As impressive agentic technologies such as OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot) go viral, I do think big tech might feel the need to get its agentic innovations out there sooner rather than later or risk falling behind. Ready or not, AI agents are here, and the future of work is about to look vastly different as digital labor looks to graduate from its “show me” phase.
In my view, the big opportunity for firms is what could happen when AI agents move from assistants (or pair-programming copilots) or colleagues to more experienced, autonomous workers who can be trusted to make the right decisions on their own.
Personally, I find the greatest opportunities in the space lie with the firms that are actually eating their own cooking. It’s fun and exciting when a firm like OpenAI scoops up the tech and talent from OpenClaw, but as the AI trade grinds to a bit of a slowdown, investors will be sure to increase their focus on where the actual cash flows are. In any case, this piece will look at two names I think are great bets for the future of AI work.
Microsoft
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) might be the obvious way to play the future of AI work. It not only has a stake in OpenAI, but it also has its own ticket to the AI race. With the enterprise software giant reorganizing things over at its AI divisions, I do think the enterprise giant is taking all the right steps to improve its footing in the AI race.
As part of the recent leadership shifts, star researcher Mustafa Suleyman will have more bandwidth to focus on building Microsoft’s own frontier AI model. Undoubtedly, Suleyman is a great leader to have at the top of Microsoft AI, and he’ll keep that title. But allowing the man to focus on what matters most (superintelligence and model making) is arguably the optimal move. At the end of the day, players in the frontier of AI need to give models their all.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of the move and think it could help the enterprise giant diversify beyond OpenAI faster. Add the recent Copilot leadership team changes and more emphasis on “executing multi-step tasks,” and I think Microsoft is ready to lead the working world into the age of agents.
Sure, Copilot may have encountered a few stumbles earlier on, but it’s since course-corrected, and after the latest leadership moves, I think Microsoft stock is ready to finally put in a bottom.
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is perhaps a sleeper pick when it comes to the future of AI work. The company has been spending a fortune on data centers, a bet that, in my view, signifies that the hints of AI improvement we saw in the last quarter might be just the start. Either way, of all AI spenders with massive CapEx budgets, I feel the most confident that Meta is the one that will have something to show.
Undoubtedly, Mark Zuckerberg has arguably shifted gears to the agent age a while ago. He did say that his firm would automate the work of mid-level engineers last year. And while many of the headlines have surrounded the AI impact on entry-level jobs of late, I do think that we’ll witness a rising tide, so to speak, especially if Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions are on schedule. In any case, if reports of 20% (or more) in layoffs over at Meta prove true, perhaps Meta is already well ahead of schedule as panic sweeps through tech.
Either way, the massive savings are going to fund more AI development, which should, in turn, accelerate the move into the world of AI work. Either way, the latest wave of layoffs seems to suggest the future of work has already arrived over at Meta.
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