{"id":28263,"date":"2026-02-12T16:17:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/microsoft-ai-chief-warns-most-white-collar-jobs-could-be-automated-within-18-months-tech-news\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:17:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:17:44","slug":"microsoft-ai-chief-warns-most-white-collar-jobs-could-be-automated-within-18-months-tech-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/microsoft-ai-chief-warns-most-white-collar-jobs-could-be-automated-within-18-months-tech-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft AI Chief Warns Most White-Collar Jobs Could Be Automated Within 18 Months | Tech News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman also said that as AI technology advances, building new models will become far easier and more accessible.<\/h2>\n
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Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman warned that artificial intelligence could soon automate most white-collar jobs, putting roles such as lawyers, accountants and other knowledge workers at risk within the next year and a half.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mustafa Suleyman said Microsoft is pushing to capture a larger share of the enterprise market by developing what he described as \u201cprofessional-grade AGI”- AI systems capable of performing almost everything a human professional can do. These tools, he said, would allow companies to automate routine tasks carried out by people who work primarily on computers.<\/p>\n

Sweeping Workforce Changes Possible<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mustafa Suleyman predicted sweeping changes to the workforce in the near future, arguing that nearly anyone whose job involves sitting in front of a computer could be affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite-collar jobs- those sitting in front of computers, whether lawyers, accountants, project managers or marketers- most of these tasks will be fully automated by AI within the next 12 to 18 months,” he said.<\/p>\n

AI Model Creation To Become Easier<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mustafa Suleyman also said that as AI technology advances, building new models will become far easier and more accessible. He compared the future process of creating AI systems to producing a podcast or writing a blog, suggesting that organisations and individuals will be able to design AI models tailored to their specific needs.<\/p>\n

Looking further ahead, he added that within the next two to three years, AI agents could become significantly more efficient at managing workflows across large institutions.<\/p>\n

Microsoft Aims For \u2018AI Self-Sufficiency\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Microsoft AI chief also indicated that the company plans to double down on developing its own AI models, reducing reliance on OpenAI following a revised agreement between the two firms. He said Microsoft was aiming for \u201ctrue AI self-sufficiency” and hinted that new in-house AI models could debut as early as 2026.<\/p>\n

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