Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has issued a stark warning that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are poised to automate the vast majority of white-collar jobs within the next 12 to 18 months.
In a recent interview, Suleyman indicated that professions ranging from law and accounting to marketing and project management face significant disruption as Microsoft pushes to deploy "professional-grade AGI" to enterprise clients. He predicts that any role if centered on computer-based knowledge work is at risk, as AI becomes capable of performing routine tasks currently handled by humans.
The shift coincides with growing market anxiety over the capabilities of new models — namely, Anthropic’s Claude Cowork — which recently rattled the stock prices of major IT services firms. Suleyman compares the future of AI development to content creation, suggesting that designing tailored models for specific institutions or individuals will soon become as straightforward as launching a blog or podcast.
Moreover, he believes autonomous AI agents are on the horizon for handling complex workflows for large organisations in two to three years. In a bid towards technological sovereignty from Open AI, Suleyman teases announcements of new Microsoft AI models of the highest calibre coming in 2026.
Also read: The AI afterlife: Navigating digital immortality and legal rights
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