In a direct challenge to tech billionaire Elon Musk’s recent prediction that artificial intelligence (AI) would eliminate the need for human jobs in the future, London-based AI startup Tomoro has announced its mission to reduce the working week to three days for employees.
The company aims to achieve this transformation not by replacing human workers with AI but by harnessing the power of AI to unlock human potential and productivity.
Tomoro’s vision for the future of work
Tomoro, which was founded in November, is on a mission to revolutionize the workplace by improving efficiency through the use of its AI “agents.” These AI agents are designed to make autonomous decisions without constraints, serving as valuable assistants to human employees.
Unlike Musk’s vision of complete job automation, Tomoro envisions a future where AI and humans work alongside each other to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity.
AI agents as productivity enhancers
The core concept behind Tomoro’s AI agents is to enhance workplace efficiency by up to eight times while simultaneously reducing the number of hours worked by human employees by 40% by 2029.
These AI agents are not intended to replace human jobs but rather to augment human capabilities and facilitate collaboration. According to Ed Broussard, co-founder of Tomoro, “We need to stop thinking about AI as a like-for-like job replacement.”
Tomoro’s AI agents have the ability to reason, learn, expand their knowledge, adapt their communication style, and solve problems. This innovative approach seeks to redefine the role of AI in the workplace, making it a valuable tool for businesses to gain a competitive edge.
A departure from traditional AI
Tomoro’s vision represents a significant departure from the current AI landscape, which often focuses on automating specific tasks or roles. Instead, the company is looking to integrate “synthetic employees” into businesses alongside human workers. This approach aims to harness AI’s potential as a collaborative partner, rather than a replacement, in the workforce.
Tomoro has already made strides in its mission by securing British insurance firm PremFina as its first client. The startup is actively recruiting a “world-class” research and development team to further its goals. With its ambitious vision, Tomoro is poised to shape the future of work and productivity, guided by the belief that “AI is as big a societal shift as the invention of farming.”
Expert opinions on the future of AI and work
While Elon Musk has predicted that AI will render jobs obsolete, Tomoro’s approach aligns with the perspective of experts who see AI as a tool for enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them.
Beatriz Valle, a senior analyst at research company GlobalData, believes that businesses are already integrating AI into their workflows with positive results. However, she maintains that human oversight remains essential in ensuring the effective integration of AI technology.
Valle’s viewpoint reflects a broader consensus among experts that AI, when applied thoughtfully, can streamline processes, improve decision-making, and empower workers to focus on higher-value tasks. The coexistence of AI and human employees appears to be the path forward, allowing businesses to tap into the full potential of both.
From Zero to Web3 Pro: Your 90-Day Career Launch Plan