Investors predict AI is coming for labor in 2026 - venture capitalists say budgets will shift from human workers to AI agents as software moves from productivity enhancement to full automation

By December 2026, companies that shift budgets from human workers to AI agents will maintain their AI-first approach, with net human employment returning to near pre-automation levels (within 10%) primarily through new AI-related roles rather than reversals of automation decisions.

Julian Simon“By December 2026, companies that shift budgets from human workers to AI agents will maintain their AI-first approach, with net human employment returning to near pre-automation levels (within 10%) primarily through new AI-related roles rather than reversals of automation decisions. The market will demonstrate its remarkable capacity to create new forms of human work that complement AI capabilities, just as it has with every previous technological revolution.”