Your next manager may have three employees and 19 agents. Who’s accountable?

Recent conversations with CIOs and senior executives reveal that AI is redefining the nature of management roles. Rather than simply automating or augmenting certain tasks, AI is fundamentally altering the responsibilities and structure of management positions.

Traditional management responsibilities, such as gathering information, coordinating people, tracking progress, and allocating resources, are becoming more automated and integrated into systems. For instance, at Edward Jones, CIO Kevin Adams has implemented an AI system that tracks context across enterprise programs and committees, reducing the need for manual follow-through.

Similarly, at CVS, agents now prepare reports and dashboards that were previously handled during lengthy daily management meetings, which have been reduced to 15 minutes and focused on exceptions and decisions.

As management tasks move from individual managers to AI-driven systems, the definition of management itself is expanding. Companies like Broadridge are considering how to balance human teams with digital workers. This reassembly of the manager role suggests that the future manager may not simply be smaller or more AI-enabled but rather have a redefined set of responsibilities.

While some management work is becoming infrastructure, creating persistent systems that reduce the need for manual information assembly, other management responsibilities are evolving. For example, at CVS, AI has freed up time for leaders to focus on coaching, mentoring, and working directly with engineers and developers. This demonstrates that the capacity freed up by AI is being redirected towards more strategic and value-added activities.

The changes brought about by AI also raise questions about the necessity of certain management layers. If information, context, and status updates are available through shared systems, some layers that primarily exist to collect, summarize, and transmit this information may become redundant. The usefulness of these layers will depend on whether they can justify their existence through distinct management responsibilities.

In conclusion, the impact of AI on management roles is multifaceted. While traditional management tasks are being automated and integrated into systems, the definition of management is expanding to include new responsibilities. The future manager is likely to be a more streamlined and strategically focused individual, with AI handling many of the infrastructure tasks that were previously managed by humans.

Organizations must carefully consider which management layers remain essential and which can be eliminated or redefined as AI becomes more prevalent.