As agentic AI exerts a larger influence in how organizations implement automation, businesses on the leading edge of leveraging the technology will need to devote more resources to managing AI agents. Since AI agents operate autonomously—much more like humans than other kinds of automation—it makes sense that a human resource company would take on that role. HR platform provider Workday just launched what it is calling the Workday Agent System of Record as a way for organizations to approach managing growing fleets of AI agents.
The number and complexity of AI agents being built to meet different and specialized business goals is growing quickly. Organizations that are bringing on these digital workers are beginning to note the challenges involved in managing the deployment of these assets, ensuring they are secure and compliant with applicable regulations, optimizing their impact and managing costs. Workday claims a single system for managing AI agents will give organizations vital visibility and control over this facet of their workforce.
“The workforce of the future will include both humans and AI agents, and businesses that don’t learn to manage this incredibly complex reality will quickly fall behind,” said Aneel Bhusri, co-founder and executive chair of Workday. “We believe no company in the world is better positioned than Workday to usher in this new era of workforce management in a trusted, ethical way. Our deep understanding of human skills and roles naturally extends to managing digital labor. The future is here, and just like with the transition to the cloud, we’re ready to help our customers get there first.”
Workday also announced it is offering its own AI agents that will perform work in the areas of contracts, payroll, financial auditing and corporate policy.