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AI May Disrupt Most Desk Jobs Within 12 To 18 Months, Says Microsoft Executive

In an interview Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman said the company is racing to develop “professional‑grade AGI”, AI systems capable of performing nearly everything a human professional can do.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom
  • Microsoft AI chief warns white-collar jobs face automation soon.
  • Professional-grade AI could replace lawyers, accountants within 18 months.
  • Microsoft aims to automate tasks, reduce reliance on OpenAI.

Chief of artificial intelligence at Microsoft, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned that most white‑collar roles that rely on computers could be automated within the next 12 to 18 months.

He informed that the company is building a “professional‑grade AGI”, that could automate majority of works done by lawyers, accountants, project managers and marketers.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Suleyman said Microsoft is racing to develop “professional‑grade AGI”, AI systems capable of performing nearly everything a human professional can do. He said the current shift in AI landscape would go beyond incremental productivity gains to produce structural displacement across knowledge‑based professions.

“White-collar work, where you’re sitting down at a computer, either being a lawyer or an accountant or a project manager or a marketing person, most of those tasks will be fully automated by an AI within the next 12 to 18 months,” the report quoted Suleyman as saying.

He described Microsoft’s strategy to capture a larger share of the enterprise market by automating routine and repeatable tasks such as document drafting, data analysis and project coordination that currently require skilled employees.

He informed about Microsoft's plans to increase AI model productions to reduce reliance on OpenAI, following a revised agreement between the two companies.

Further, he said "creating a new model will be as simple as making a podcast or writing a blog,” adding that institutions and individuals could design AI tailored to their specific needs.

US tech giant Oracle plans to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs to expand its AI data‑centre capacity, while Amazon recently announced lay off 16,000 employees as part of its AI restructure plan.

A recent report from PwC India said artificial intelligence could contribute nearly $550 billion to India’s economy by 2035, across five priority sectors including agriculture, education, energy, healthcare and manufacturing.

The India AI Mission, launched in 2024 with a $1.2 billion funding, democratised access to computing resources, datasets, and talent development.

(Disclaimer: This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Which white-collar roles are at risk of automation?

Roles like lawyers, accountants, project managers, and marketers that rely on computer-based tasks are expected to be largely automated.

When could widespread automation of white-collar jobs occur?

Microsoft's Chief of AI predicts that most white-collar computer-reliant jobs could be fully automated within the next 12 to 18 months.

What is Microsoft developing to automate tasks?

Microsoft is building 'professional-grade AGI,' AI systems capable of performing nearly all tasks a human professional can do.

How is Microsoft planning to automate routine tasks?

The company aims to automate routine tasks like document drafting, data analysis, and project coordination to capture a larger share of the enterprise market.

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