AI Plans to Replace Humans – What’s the Strategy?
agents
| Source: Dev.to | Original article
Companies are building AI agents to automate human work, but the expected wave of job replacement is already receding.
A fresh wave of commentary is questioning the long‑promised “AI takeover” of work. The piece titled **“We’re Building AI to Replace Ourselves. What’s the Plan?”** argues that the expectation of a near‑future where humans are largely idle has already been overtaken by a harsher reality: the tech labour market is saturated, and AI is delivering the final blow.
The article notes that the IT sector, once seen as a fast track to lucrative, low‑effort jobs, has become crowded as more people entered the field for its perceived comfort. With that oversupply, AI tools—particularly autonomous agents—are now automating tasks that previously kept those workers employed. The author asks bluntly, “Weren’t we supposed to be replaced by AI by now? Or at least work less?” and answers that the “days” of gradual displacement have already ended.
Why this matters is twofold. First, it reframes the narrative from a distant, speculative future to an immediate shift that is already reshaping hiring, wages and career pathways in tech. Second, it highlights a strategic pivot among AI firms: Figure AI, for example, is openly pursuing humanoid robots to replace human labour at scale, with founder Brett Adcock declaring a goal of building the world’s biggest company by doing so. This underscores a move from software‑only automation to physical‑world replacements.
What to watch next includes the rollout of Figure AI’s next‑generation robots and how other players respond—whether by doubling down on AI‑augmented roles or by lobbying for regulatory safeguards. Observers will also track the ripple effects on education pipelines; as we reported on 1 Nov 2026, computer‑science enrolments are already falling as AI erodes traditional job prospects. The coming months will reveal whether the industry can devise a sustainable model that balances automation with human employment.
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