IBM has replaced approximately 200 human resources (HR) roles with artificial intelligence (AI) agents, as part of its strategy to automate routine tasks and reallocate resources to more strategic areas. CEO Arvind Krishna confirmed that these changes have not resulted in overall job losses; instead, the company has increased hiring in fields such as software engineering, sales, and marketing—roles that require human judgment and interaction .The AI agents, including IBM’s AskHR system, have been instrumental in automating up to 94% of routine HR tasks like processing vacation requests and pay statements . This shift has enabled HR professionals to focus on more strategic functions such as talent development and employee engagement. IBM’s broader AI initiatives have reportedly led to a $3.5 billion productivity improvement over the past two years .While IBM has not specified the exact timeline for these HR reductions, the move reflects a growing trend in the tech industry to leverage AI for efficiency and to reorient human roles toward areas that benefit from creativity and complex decision-making.