When McKinsey Global Institute released their comprehensive analysis of AI's impact on the workforce, the headline number grabbed attention: 57% of US work hours could theoretically be automated with today's technologies.
But here's what most headlines missed: this isn't a forecast of job losses. It's a measure of technical potential—and more importantly, it reveals that work in the future will be a partnership between people, agents, and robots, all powered by AI. Most human skills will evolve, not disappear.
The report, titled "Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI," shifts the conversation from replacement to collaboration. It's not about whether AI will change work—it's about how we'll work together with intelligent machines to create more value.
The Key Findings: What McKinsey Discovered
57% Automation Potential
Currently demonstrated technologies could theoretically automate activities accounting for 57% of US work hours. This reflects technical potential, not a forecast of job losses.
$2.9 Trillion Value
By 2030, about $2.9 trillion of economic value could be unlocked in the United States if organizations prepare their people and redesign workflows around people, agents, and robots working together.
70%+ Skills Overlap
More than 70% of today's skills can be applied in both automatable and non-automatable work. Most skills remain relevant—they'll just be used differently.
7x Growth in AI Fluency
Demand for AI fluency—the ability to use and manage AI tools—has grown sevenfold in two years, faster than for any other skill in US job postings.
The Future is Skill Partnerships, Not Replacement
McKinsey's research fundamentally reframes the AI conversation. Instead of asking "which jobs will AI replace?", they ask "how will people, agents, and robots work together?"
The report uses "agents" and "robots" as broad terms: agents automate nonphysical work (like document processing, data analysis, customer service), while robots automate physical work (like manufacturing, logistics, maintenance). Both are powered by AI.
The key insight: work will increasingly be centered on collaboration between humans and intelligent machines. Some roles will shrink, others will grow or shift, while new ones emerge—all built around skill partnerships.
Three Workforce Archetypes
McKinsey identifies three types of work environments emerging:
- 1. People-centric: Work where human judgment, creativity, and relationships are central (e.g., strategic planning, negotiation, caregiving)
- 2. Agent/robot-centric: Work where automation handles most tasks (e.g., data entry, routine manufacturing, document processing)
- 3. Hybrid/combined: Work where people, agents, and robots collaborate closely (e.g., software development, healthcare diagnostics, financial analysis)
The Skill Change Index: Which Skills Will Evolve Most?
McKinsey developed a new Skill Change Index (SCI)—a time-weighted measure of automation's potential impact on each skill used in today's workforce. This tool helps predict which skills will face the greatest disruption in the next five years.
The findings are nuanced: nearly every occupation will experience skill shifts by 2030, but the nature of those shifts varies dramatically.
Highest Change Exposure
Skills most likely to be transformed by automation:
- • Digital skills: Coding, data entry, software operations
- • Information processing: Document preparation, basic research, data analysis
- • Specialized technical: Accounting, routine diagnostics, quality control
These skills won't disappear—they'll be augmented by AI, allowing people to focus on higher-value applications.
Lowest Change Exposure
Skills likely to change the least:
- • Assisting and caring: Nursing, caregiving, personal services
- • Interpersonal: Negotiation, coaching, relationship building
- • Physical skills: Electrical work, construction, hands-on repair
These skills remain highly valuable and are difficult to automate, making them strategic investments.
The Middle Ground: Widely Applicable Skills
Most skills fall in between—including widely applicable ones like problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking. These will evolve as part of a growing partnership with agents and robots.
For example, problem-solving won't disappear—but workers will spend less time preparing documents and doing basic research, and more time framing questions and interpreting results. Communication skills will be applied to guide AI systems and explain their outputs, not just to write reports.
The AI Fluency Surge: What Employers Are Actually Hiring For
The most striking finding from McKinsey's analysis of job postings: demand for AI fluency has grown sevenfold in just two years—faster than for any other skill in the US labor market.
This surge is visible across industries and likely marks the beginning of much bigger changes ahead. About eight million people in the United States already work in occupations where job postings call for at least one AI-related skill—and that's just a fraction of what may be needed in the years ahead.
AI Fluency
7x Growth
In 2 years (fastest growing skill)
8 Million Workers
In occupations requiring AI skills (and growing)
Complementary Skills
Quality assurance, process optimization, teaching also rising
The report also notes that demand is rising for complementary skills such as quality assurance, process optimization, and teaching—skills that help humans work effectively with AI systems. In contrast, job post mentions are declining for routine writing and research, both areas where AI already performs well.
The $2.9 Trillion Opportunity: Redesigning Workflows, Not Just Tasks
McKinsey's midpoint scenario estimates that AI-powered agents and robots could generate about $2.9 trillion in US economic value per year by 2030. But capturing this value depends less on new technological breakthroughs than on how organizations redesign workflows.
The key insight: organizations need to redesign entire workflows around people, agents, and robots working together—especially complex, high-value ones that rely on unstructured data. This isn't about automating individual tasks; it's about reimagining how work gets done.
What Workflow Redesign Looks Like
- From task automation to workflow integration: Instead of automating invoice processing in isolation, redesign the entire accounts payable workflow to include AI agents for data extraction, human oversight for exceptions, and automated routing for approvals.
- From individual productivity to team collaboration: Design systems where AI agents handle routine research, humans focus on strategic interpretation, and both work together on complex problem-solving.
- From process optimization to capability building: Build workflows that not only improve efficiency today but develop the human-AI collaboration skills needed for tomorrow.
Integrating AI will not be a simple technology rollout but a reimagining of work itself—redesigning processes, roles, skills, culture, and metrics so people, agents, and robots create more value together.
What This Means for Leaders: Four Critical Actions
McKinsey's research points to four critical actions for leaders navigating the AI transition:
1. Engage Directly with AI
The most effective leaders engage directly with AI rather than delegating. They understand AI capabilities and limitations firsthand, which enables better strategic decisions about where and how to deploy it.
2. Invest in Human Skills That Matter Most
Focus on developing skills that complement AI—problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, and especially AI fluency. These are the skills that will remain valuable as automation advances.
3. Redesign Workflows, Not Just Tasks
Move beyond automating individual tasks to redesigning entire workflows around people, agents, and robots working together. This is where the $2.9 trillion opportunity lies.
4. Balance Gains with Responsibility, Safety, and Trust
The outcomes for firms, workers, and communities will ultimately depend on how organizations and institutions work together to prepare people for the jobs of the future—with appropriate safeguards and ethical considerations.
What This Means for Mid-Market Companies
While McKinsey's research focuses on the US economy overall, the implications for mid-market companies are particularly relevant:
Advantages
- Faster workflow redesign cycles than enterprises
- More flexibility to experiment with skill partnerships
- Ability to see company-wide impact from focused initiatives
- Less legacy system complexity to navigate
Opportunities
- Build AI fluency across the organization faster
- Redesign high-value workflows with less bureaucracy
- Create competitive advantages through skill partnerships
- Capture a share of the $2.9 trillion opportunity
The Strategic Question
For mid-market leaders, the question isn't whether to adopt AI—it's how quickly you can build skill partnerships that create competitive advantages. Companies that redesign workflows around people, agents, and robots working together will capture value that others miss.
The Bottom Line: Skills Will Evolve, Not Disappear
McKinsey's research fundamentally reframes the AI conversation. Yes, 57% of work hours could theoretically be automated. Yes, some roles will change. Yes, some skills will be used differently.
But the core message is one of evolution, not elimination. More than 70% of today's skills can be applied in both automatable and non-automatable work. Most skills remain relevant—they'll just be used in new contexts, often in partnership with AI systems.
The $2.9 trillion opportunity isn't about replacing people—it's about redesigning workflows so people, agents, and robots create more value together. The companies that win will be those that build skill partnerships, not just deploy technology.
The future of work is a partnership. The question is: will you be proactive or reactive about building it?
Ready to Build Your Skill Partnerships?
If you're a mid-market leader facing the AI transition, let's talk. I help companies identify their highest-ROI AI opportunities and build skill partnerships that prepare their workforce for the next phase—not just automate the current one.
In 20 minutes, we'll assess your workflow redesign opportunities, identify where skill partnerships can create the most value, and outline a 90-day pilot plan that prepares your workforce—not just automates tasks.
References & Further Reading
- Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI - McKinsey Global Institute
November 2025. McKinsey Global Institute research report on AI's impact on skills and the workforce.
- McKinsey Global Institute - Future of Work Research
