Oracle co-CEO Mike Sicilia questions whether all of today's work will be 'necessary' going forward, says AI will 'give people more time to be human'

Oracle co-CEO Mike Sicilia has questioned whether much of the work employees currently carry out is actually necessary in the future with the rise of artificial intelligence. Speaking at Oracle's AI World conference, Sicilia suggested that AI could give people more time to focus on the things they find meaningful, rather than being consumed by mundane tasks.

The company has already demonstrated the potential of AI by using agentic AI in its recruitment business, reducing the time spent on market research preparation from days to just 15-20 minutes. Oracle's new generation of AI-powered enterprise applications, such as agentic AI and Fusion Agentic Applications, can take over entire processes, reason, analyze data, simulate outcomes and execute approved actions.

This could significantly streamline tasks that currently require manual effort, such as strategic field demand planning and executive briefing documents. Sicilia's remarks indicate a shift in how businesses may view productivity in the future, with the potential to redefine the nature of work and the value placed on human endeavors.