Tech executives argue AI will augment rather than replace workers, pointing to task automation that frees humans for higher-value work—a shift already rewarding early adopters like C.H. Robinson.

What happened: Dave Bozeman, CEO of logistics firm C.H. Robinson, and Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics, told Fortune Brainstorm Tech that AI's near-term impact is task augmentation—automating routine work so humans can focus on customer interaction and complex problem-solving. C.H. Robinson has deployed more than 30 specialized AI agents that executed millions of shipping tasks over the past year, including a coding agent that now handles 100% of transactional quotes in around 30 seconds (previously taking humans up to 20 minutes to complete only 60%).

Why it matters: The executives' framing pushes back against widespread fears of mass job displacement, arguing that automation targets entry-level operational roles with historically high turnover rather than wholesale workforce replacement. C.H. Robinson's stock has risen more than 100% in the past year following its pivot to in-house AI tools, suggesting the market rewards this approach—though concerns remain grounded, as Amazon has been reported to be planning to replace more than half a million jobs with robots.

What to watch: Agility Robotics is designing humanoid robots to operate in human-built manufacturing environments (stairs, tight corners, waist-high counters) and plans to deploy them safely among humans by the end of this year. The company aims to fill roles people actively avoid—repetitive, injury-prone, and mentally taxing tasks—as part of addressing U.S. labor shortages.