SouthernWorldwide.com – As summer approaches, the thought of a beach vacation is appealing, but the reality for many employees means an increased workload for their colleagues left behind. Upon returning, those who took time off often face a daunting pile of catch-up tasks, diminishing the restorative effects of their break.
Artificial intelligence presents a potential solution to alleviate this summer scheduling burden, according to Korn Ferry. The management consulting firm has observed that some companies are beginning to implement AI agents, also known as custom bots, to manage basic correspondence, schedule meetings, and handle other administrative duties while employees are on vacation.
This approach offers a dual benefit for employers: it helps maintain business operations and ensures that employees can take the necessary downtime to recharge. Bryan Ackerman, head of AI strategy and transformation for Korn Ferry, explained that this strategy aims to minimize the productivity dip that occurs when an employee is absent.
“It’s about the team taking the smallest hit by having AI make clear what’s due while someone is out,” Ackerman told CBS News. “It’s also a huge help when that person returns to dig out from vacation.”
AI excels at summarizing emails and documents, capabilities that can be leveraged to handle tasks on behalf of a vacationing manager or senior leader. This ensures that team members are not left without necessary information or support while their colleague is away, Ackerman noted.
“AI can make everything that was on my plate visible to colleagues while I’m gone,” he stated.
For instance, Ackerman highlighted Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, an AI agent designed for “knowledge work,” which can synthesize research and prepare documents. This demonstrates AI’s capacity to support complex tasks.
“Coordinating documents, light email writing and summarizing meeting transcripts when the host is on vacation — this is all within the realm of what AI happens to be good at right now,” Ackerman said. “In their current iteration, these tools provide data insights for teams compensating for me being out.”
However, the introduction of AI agents for summer coverage could raise concerns among employees about job security, particularly in sectors experiencing layoffs and reduced hiring due to increased corporate investment in AI. This is a sensitive point that companies need to address carefully.
Furthermore, the use of AI in this capacity may introduce privacy concerns. For organizations, the deployment and ongoing use of such technology also come with significant costs, both in terms of financial investment and the need for robust security measures.
Mark Beare, head of consumer business at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, also pointed out the crucial need for employees to trust that an AI agent acting on their behalf will do so competently and professionally when interacting with coworkers and clients.
“If you give administrative control to an AI agent while you’re not present, allowing it to do things for you and make decisions, that brings concerns with it,” he commented. Beare emphasized the potential pitfalls of relying solely on AI without human oversight.
“If it does something you ask it to poorly and there’s no human in the loop to correct it, eventually these systems decay,” Beare warned, underscoring the importance of a human element in managing AI’s performance and ensuring its accuracy.
