According to engineerlive.com, IEEE’s global survey of technology leaders reveals that 77% of technologists believe humanoid robots will become commonplace coworkers within two years. The study found 96% expect agentic AI adoption to accelerate dramatically in 2026, with 91% predicting increased hiring of data analysts to verify AI outputs. Looking at job impact, 51% of leaders think 26-50% of global jobs will be AI-augmented by 2026, while 49% believe building the necessary data center infrastructure will take five to seven years. The top industries expecting major AI transformation include software, banking, healthcare, and automotive sectors.
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The Agentic AI Takeover Is Real
Here’s the thing about agentic AI – it’s not just another buzzword. We’re talking about systems that can actually work independently when given tasks. Think of them as super-smart assistants that don’t need hand-holding for every single step. But here’s the catch that the survey highlights: everyone agrees we’ll still need humans to double-check their work. Basically, we’re creating these incredibly capable tools that still require human oversight. And companies are pouring money into this like there’s no tomorrow.
Your Next Cubicle Mate Might Have Circuits
So about those humanoid robots becoming coworkers… 77% of tech leaders actually see this happening. At first, they think it’ll be novel and maybe even fun having robots around the office. But then they expect them to become just… normal. Like that weird fax machine in the corner that nobody uses but everyone accepts as part of the furniture. The survey suggests robotics will be one of the top areas AI influences by 2026. Are we ready for this? I mean, we barely tolerate some of our human coworkers – how’s that going to work with literal machines?
The Hiring Landscape Is Changing Fast
Now here’s where it gets really interesting for job seekers. With all this AI analyzing massive amounts of data, companies are actually planning to hire more data analysts. Wait, what? Isn’t AI supposed to replace jobs? Apparently not – at least not immediately. The survey shows that 91% of technologists expect increased hiring specifically for people who can assess AI accuracy and ensure transparency. So the skills companies want are shifting toward AI oversight and validation. It’s like we’re building these powerful tools but we still need humans to make sure they don’t go off the rails.
The Infrastructure Problem Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention: nearly half of these tech leaders think it’ll take five to seven years to build the data center infrastructure needed for all this AI growth. That’s a long time! We’re talking about massive physical construction projects, power requirements, cooling systems – the whole shebang. And only 10% think it could take eight years or more. Basically, we might be developing AI capabilities faster than we can build the houses to put them in. The IEEE survey really highlights this disconnect between AI ambition and physical reality.
