NEW DELHI, India — Microsoft’s chief of artificial intelligence has warned that most white-collar jobs that rely on computer-based work could be automated within the next 12 to 18 months, as advances in artificial intelligence accelerate rapidly.
Mustafa Suleyman said the technology giant is building what he described as a “professional-grade AGI” capable of automating a large share of work currently done by lawyers, accountants, project managers, and marketing professionals.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Suleyman said Microsoft is racing to develop AI systems that can perform nearly everything a human professional does, marking a shift that could go far beyond incremental productivity gains.
“White-collar work, where you’re sitting down at a computer, either being a lawyer or an accountant or a project manager or a marketing person, most of those tasks will be fully automated by an AI within the next 12 to 18 months,” he said.
Suleyman said Microsoft’s strategy is focused on capturing a larger share of the enterprise market by automating routine and repeatable tasks such as document drafting, data analysis, and project coordination, work that currently requires skilled human employees.
He also said Microsoft plans to scale up its own AI model development to reduce reliance on OpenAI, following changes to the partnership agreement between the two companies.
Looking ahead, Suleyman suggested that creating custom AI systems could soon become commonplace. “Creating a new model will be as simple as making a podcast or writing a blog,” he said, adding that institutions and individuals may soon be able to design AI tailored to their specific needs.
The warning comes amid widespread restructuring across the global technology sector. Oracle has announced plans to cut between 20,000 and 30,000 jobs as it expands its AI data-center capacity, while Amazon recently said it would lay off 16,000 employees as part of an AI-driven reorganization.
At the same time, the economic potential of artificial intelligence remains substantial. A recent PwC India report said AI could contribute nearly $550 billion to India’s economy by 2035 across sectors including agriculture, education, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing.
India has also moved to position itself for the AI shift. The India AI Mission, launched in 2024 with $1.2 billion in funding, aims to broaden access to computing resources, datasets, and talent development nationwide. (Source: IANS)
