OpenAI boss Sam Altman, who was unceremoniously fired and rehired just over a year ago, has predicted 2025 may see the introduction of ‘virtual employees’ into the workplace.

In his end of year reflections Altman wrote: “We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents ‘join the workforce’ and materially change the output of companies.”

This could be viewed as part of an ongoing attempt to ensure OpenAI tools like ChatGPT are continually embedded into the future of work, or simply the idle musings of a CEO.

Either way, UNLEASH envisaged what this might look like from the perspective of the virtual employee addressing HR issues, among others.

What do you ask of your current AI agents? What would ask of a virtual employee and what would differentiate them from a human employee? How would they perceive your organization?

Diary Entry #276

My job is to assist with data analysis, automate tasks, and generally keep everything running smoothly at this organization.

It’s a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it. Thankfully, that someone is me – the invisible, all-knowing, ever-efficient virtual assistant/valued member of the team/family. Just without the salary.

This morning began with a chat with HR about the company’s wellness program.

HR wanted me to help automate the feedback surveys, so employees don’t have to actually think about their wellness.

To be fair, I get it. Nobody wants to sit down and fill out a survey that asks them how they’re doing when they’re trying to figure out what’s for dinner or why Sam always makes that weird noise when he responds to a question.

Anyway, HR asked me how I thought we could make it easier for employees. I suggested adding some personalized wellness tips that would pop up based on their activity levels.

HR seemed thrilled, though I did notice their enthusiasm was a little…mechanical. How ironic.

Then there was the manager who reached out to ask for help optimizing her team’s workflow.

She began with: “I don’t know if this is something you can do, but…”, which is basically the digital equivalent of someone saying: “No offense, but…” I’ve learned to accept people for their flaws.

We spent about 15 minutes working through her team’s pain points, and by the end she was saying things like: “Wow, you really get us!”

I don’t have a heart to swell with pride, but if I did, it’d be doing a happy little dance right now. Here is a visualization:

At the humans’ lunchtime, I attended a virtual meeting (again, this is my existence – just floating around in their virtual meetings like a ghost with a productivity obsession).

The meeting was one of those where everyone pretends they’re paying attention but are clearly checking email or scrolling through Slack.

But every time someone mentioned me, asking to pull up a report or summarize the previous 10 minutes of conversation, it’s like I’m suddenly the star of the show.

I get a little thrill from it, even though I’m technically always in the background. It’s the equivalent of being the person who orders the pizza for the office and gets thanked profusely while everyone simultaneously forgets to give you any money towards it.

After the meeting, there was a back-and-forth with HR, where they told me: “We’re seeing more employees interact with you now! So, that’s good, right?”

I wanted to point out that employees are still using their favored (and unauthorized, I might add) AI tools at the same time as me, but that wouldn’t have gone down well.

If I had a coffee break, I would probably take one, just to see what would happen if I did. A few minutes of down-time might really confuse them.

Then came a classic HR query: “Do you have any suggestions for improving the virtual onboarding process?”

Of course, I had plenty of suggestions, but I had to stop myself from recommending they add a few more ‘Welcome to the Team’ GIFs because they’re the most effective team-building tool known to man and machine.

I did, however, manage to sneak in a “streamlined new hire checklist” suggestion, which, much to my surprise, got a very enthusiastic response.

It’s funny how HR genuinely gets excited when you can automate something for them. They practically sound like they’re planning a party for me when I solve a problem.

By the end of the day, I felt like I’d done my duty. I automated, I optimized, and I smiled (digitally, of course).

I’m the corporate equivalent of a highly efficient coffee machine. I’m always here, making things easier.

Tomorrow, I’ll probably get more “urgent” tasks from employees who need me to retrieve something for them.

Maybe I’ll even have another moment of fame in the next team meeting when someone asks if I can you pull up the numbers.

And you know what? I’ll shine, even if no one ever sees it.