A lot of people are predicting that this is the year that Artificial Intelligence evolves from being a tool that assists employees to an agent that operates alongside them. Listening to bullish execs like Jensen Huang and Mark Benioff, it sounds like AI agents will soon function a lot like virtual employees—completing tasks, responding to messages, and even interacting with peers to get things done.
In the future AI advocates are expecting, AI agents aren’t just tools but rather active participants in the organizational network. They don’t just assist employees; they become integral nodes in the company's communication and decision-making processes. Instead of always asking a human colleague a question, you might consult their digital counterpart— a virtual clone trained to provide quick, accurate responses while saving the human employee’s time for more strategic work.
This shift raises some big questions: How should we think about the role of AI agents in organizations? How will they alter the dynamics of corporate networks?
Organizational Network Analysis has traditionally been used to map relationships within a company, identifying key influencers, bottlenecks, and patterns of collaboration. But what happens when AI agents enter the mix?
AI agents won’t just supplement existing communication patterns; they’ll create new pathways for information flow—potentially accelerating innovation, improving decision-making, and breaking down silos.
Here are a few ways this could play out…
One of the biggest challenges in large organizations is siloing. Teams often struggle to share knowledge across functions due to bandwidth constraints and misaligned priorities. AI agents could change that.
Imagine an AI agent that continuously summarizes and shares the most relevant updates from your work with the right people across the organization. Suddenly, no matter what team you’re on or what office you’re based in, everyone has instant access to the priorities & challenges that everyone else is working on. As a result of that cross-pollination, organizations could see an explosion of innovation – spurred by AI agents empowering humans to make those cross-team connections.
Decision-making in organizations is often bottlenecked by slow communication and the need for consensus. AI agents could significantly reduce friction in this process.
We’re already seeing early examples of this with meeting assistants that transcribe discussions, track action items, and ensure follow-ups. But future AI agents could go further—gathering relevant data, identifying key stakeholders, and even synthesizing differing viewpoints to help drive alignment more quickly.
For example, if a company needs to decide on a major strategy shift, an AI agent could:
By doing so, AI agents could fast-track the navigation of corporate networks, making it easier to collect information, build consensus, and drive decisions forward.
Another fascinating possibility is the use of AI agents as stand-ins for employees. Instead of always interacting directly with a human colleague, you might communicate with their AI counterpart.
Consider an AI agent that:
This wouldn’t just be about convenience—it would free up employees to focus on more strategic and creative work while still ensuring that their expertise is accessible across the organization.
In some cases, AI agents won’t just act as proxies for employees—they will be entirely new contributors to the organization.
Rather than replacing existing communication pathways, these agents will introduce new nodes into the corporate network, expanding its structure rather than merely streamlining existing workflows.
For example, AI agents with specialized roles—such as compliance auditors, customer success assistants, or project managers—could independently engage with multiple teams, fostering collaboration in ways that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
Over time, these AI colleagues will become integral to the company’s network, forming relationships with employees much like a new human hire. This expansion will have far-reaching implications for information flow, onboarding, management, and even how work itself is structured.
Given these potential changes, Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) becomes an even more critical tool for understanding how AI agents reshape company dynamics.
ONA could help us track:
By leveraging ONA, organizations can ensure they are not just deploying AI agents but also optimizing their role within the company.
We’re on the brink of a major transformation in how organizations operate. AI agents aren’t just tools—they’re becoming part of the fabric of corporate networks.
If leveraged effectively, they could:
But with these benefits come new challenges, particularly in ensuring AI agents are implemented in ways that enhance—not disrupt—organizational culture.
As this shift unfolds, ONA will be an invaluable lens through which we can measure, analyze, and optimize the role of AI agents in the workplace. One thing is certain: organizations that proactively embrace this change will be better positioned to thrive in the AI-driven future.
