In short
•IBM has replaced around 200 HR professionals with AI agents
•CEO Arvind Krishna noted that the use of AI and automation has led to increased investment in roles requiring
•This trend reflects a broader movement in the tech industry, where companies are using AI

IBM's strategy is part of a larger trend of applying AI to manage repetitive work and freeing up resources for tasks that need thinking. IBM has replaced approximately 200 human resources professionals with AI agents. IBM's Ask HR AI agent now handles 94% of routine HR work, such as pay statements, said The Wall Street Journal.

However, instead of reducing overall employment, IBM has redirected resources to hire more programmers, salespeople, and marketing professional’s roles that require critical thinking and human interaction.

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna emphasized that this shift has actually led to more hiring in other areas, such as software engineering, sales, and marketing.
Although we've done an enormous amount of work within IBM to take advantage of AI and automation on specific enterprise workflows, overall our employment has actually increased, because what it does is it provides you more investment to make in other things," Krishna said to The Wall Street Journal.

IBM's strategy is part of a larger trend to employ AI to manage repetitive work and divert resources to tasks that need critical thinking and human engagement.
IBM has also expanded its generative AI unit, which has become a $6 billion company, selling tools that enable customers to create AI agents that can independently perform complex tasks.

This change mirrors a larger trend wherein AI is changing job functions instead of outright replacing them. Some technology firms have begun substituting HR experts with AI agents to make things simpler and more efficient. Klarna, the fintech firm replaced 700 customer support agents with AI chatbots to manage inquiries and transactions. Cisco, UPS, Duolingo, and Intuit also included AI within their staff, resulting in job cuts in some areas. The practice is on the rise as companies look to reduce costs and boost efficiency.