White-collar jobs threatened: Microsoft’s AI predicts their disappearance within 18 months
In an ever-evolving professional landscape, the emergence of artificial intelligence, particularly that developed by Microsoft, raises concerns about the future of white-collar professions. Mustafa Suleyman, head of AI at Microsoft, recently stated that within just 12 to 18 months, AI’s performance will reach a level equivalent to that of humans in most tasks performed by these professionals. This encompasses fields such as accounting, marketing, project management, and even law. This transformation promises to fully automate these jobs, calling into question the sustainability of many positions.
An inevitable automation
Mustafa Suleyman claims that AI is capable of replacing white-collar workers due to its increasing performance. According to his forecasts, the majority of tasks set to be automated include intellectual activities generally performed in front of a computer. Sectors like accounting and marketing, which have already leveraged numerous digital tools, will be particularly affected. AI, with its automation capabilities, could eventually perform these tasks better and faster than humans, redefining how these professions are carried out.
Skills now obsolete
The potential of AI to accomplish complex tasks is accentuated by the rapid advancement of computing power. Over the past fifteen years, the capacity dedicated to training AI models has increased exponentially. These technological advances now enable AI systems to code more effectively than many human developers. As a result, Microsoft has already begun to delegate a significant portion of programming to machines, raising the stakes for the future of software engineering jobs.
Visible initial consequences
As AI progressively integrates into the workplace, companies like Microsoft have started to downsize their workforce, replacing certain positions with artificial intelligence solutions. In 2025, over 15,000 people were laid off in this context, including several hundred in France. Other giants, such as Amazon and Goldman Sachs, are following suit, adopting AI tools to lighten workloads. However, these transformations can generate significant concerns among affected employees, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty regarding job security.
AI as a support rather than a replacement
Despite this evolution, experts emphasize that AI does not always aim to replace workers but rather to assist them. Data collected in the Thomson Reuters report shows that in sectors such as law and accounting, AI is primarily used for tasks like analysis, research, or document processing, thereby increasing employee productivity instead of displacing them. Artificial intelligence proves to be a valuable tool, but the transition to widespread use is still in its infancy.
A changing future
Mustafa Suleyman expresses an optimistic vision regarding the future of AI, believing that companies will manage to adapt it to accomplish any necessary task. He even predicts that creating an AI model will become as simple as publishing a podcast or a blog. In the meantime, society has not yet reached this level of maturity, and there are still many hurdles to overcome before AI can be seamlessly integrated into all business processes.
As the professional world transforms, examples of AI’s impact are already emerging, such as the case of a startup revolutionizing AI to bring SMEs closer to this technology here. Additionally, some institutions, including J.P. Morgan, are innovating with AI in financial transactions, ushering in a new era of operations here. Challenges related to the emergence of AI continue relentlessly, sparking debates about the future of traditional jobs and how companies are preparing for this turning point.
AI proves to be both a threat and an opportunity in various fields, as demonstrated by research on its use by certain professions, including architects here. These developments highlight the urgent need for rapid adaptation for workers in sectors vulnerable to generative artificial intelligence, which could transform one in four jobs shortly here. The path to successful integration of AI into the professional world will undoubtedly be fraught with obstacles, but it also represents a field of untapped opportunities.
