AI Robots Set to Dominate Workforce, Human Workers' Future in Jeopardy

AI Robots Predicted to Dominate the Workforce, Human Workers’ Future in Jeopardy

• CNBC International

Jakarta, VIVA – The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in various companies has the potential to displace human workers, and this has been a hot topic in recent years. Not only are AI robots predicted to replace human positions, but they are also expected to dominate the human workforce in the coming decades.

This prediction comes as companies strive to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs, in order to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging market.

Rob Garlick, former Head of Innovation, Technology, and the Future of Work at Citi Global Insights, warned that the current economic system encourages companies to prioritise profitability. The combination of profit-driven motives and technological advancements is leading to robots increasingly replacing human roles.

“We have a leadership system in the economy and business that prioritises profitability,” Garlick said, as quoted by CNBC International on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

He added that the advancement of AI will create the largest workforce shift in modern history, as AI robots are considered capable of doing more, better, and at a lower cost than humans.

According to a Citi report in 2024, Garlick and his team estimated that the number of AI robots will reach 1.3 billion units by 2035. Furthermore, the number of robot workers is expected to increase significantly to more than 4 billion units by 2050.

“In the coming decades, we will move towards a situation where the number of robots exceeds the human workforce, and if we add digital AI agents, the number will explode,” said Garlick.

The AI robots in question include various types, such as humanoid robots, household robots, and autonomous vehicles. This technology is becoming increasingly popular because it offers high efficiency with significantly lower operational costs compared to human labour.

Several global companies have already begun integrating AI to replace human roles. Major companies such as Amazon, Salesforce, Accenture, Heineken, and Lufthansa have even reduced thousands of jobs by making AI part of their business transformation.

Data from the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that AI triggered nearly 55,000 layoffs in the United States throughout 2025.