What Is Digital Labor?

Since the 1960s, business technology has been marked by iterative progress. From mainframes and PCs to spreadsheets and customer relationship management (CRM), each innovation has made work faster, more efficient, and more connected. But these were just tools requiring human input, interpretation, and effort. AI agents are something altogether different. They don’t just assist — they act. They analyze, decide, and execute tasks autonomously, operating at speeds and scales no human workforce could match.

These agents represent a new world of digital labor that not only handles monotonous low-value work, but orchestrates and carries out high-value, multistep tasks. This isn’t just another step forward — it’s an enormous leap, redefining how work gets done and what’s possible in the enterprise.

Hyperbole? We don’t think so. Take, for instance, the impact that agent-first companies will have on the economy. Global GDP is expected to be 14% higher in 2030 – the equivalent of $15.7 trillion – driven in large part by productivity gains from augmenting human labor with artificial intelligence (AI). Digital labor will help companies optimize budgets and do much more without adding huge operating costs.

As Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said recently, agents and digital labor are “very different than anything that’s ever happened.”

What we’ll cover:

• What is digital labor?
• Why is digital labor important, and why now
• Why you need a digital workforce
• What are examples of digital labor?
• Digital labor vs. digital worker: What’s the difference?
• What are the pros and cons of digital labor?
• How AI and automation help you implement digital labor
• Making the business case for digital labor

Digital labor refers to technologies (such as AI automation and AI agents) that mimic human decision-making and cognitive abilities. It extends human capacity to complete tasks at speeds and scales that a human-only workforce cannot match.

Imagine a financial services firm during tax season. Traditionally, human advisors or basic software would help clients with filing, account inquiries, or flagging discrepancies. But a digital labor force can analyze financial documents, identify deductions, flag compliance risks, and even offer tailored financial advice — in real time and without human intervention. These agents allow firms to handle unprecedented volumes while delivering a better client experience.

AI agents analyze data and make decisions, and unlike traditional productivity tools (like office suites), they continuously learn and adapt. And they’re not just tackling repetitive, boring work, but cognitive and creative work, too.

The sheer volume of data we generate has long outpaced human capacity to process it. Globally, we will create 463 exabytes of data (that’s a one followed by 18 zeroes) every day this year. AI agents need this data, and thrive on this scale, turning data into actionable insights in real time. The more data they consume, the smarter and more effective they become, continuously refining their decisions and actions to drive better outcomes.

Also, there are simply not enough workers to fill all open jobs. According to a December 2024 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “if every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have millions of open jobs.”

Digital labor is crucial for businesses because it addresses these challenges.

Digital automation has been around for decades, helping organizations do things faster and more efficiently. But the convergence of data, technology, and demand has now reached a tipping point where AI agents can power a truly digital workforce.

Advances in machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and automation have moved AI from a theoretical concept to a practical one, with agents now capable of complex, autonomous decision-making and reasoning.

Like software-as-a-service (SaaS) — which Salesforce pioneered — digital labor is a business model that gives companies a competitive edge and creates a new generation of leaders. SaaS was created in 1999 but took years to become mainstream. Once it did, those companies that stuck with on-premise technologies lacked the scale, flexibility, cost efficiencies, and continuous innovation of those that moved to the cloud — and fell behind.

The same will happen to companies that are slow to adopt AI and digital workers, but it will happen exponentially faster.

Need proof? AI, particularly generative AI, is very different from other technological shifts in that its development and adoption are taking place nearly in tandem. A March 2025 McKinsey Global Survey found 71% of respondents are regularly using generative AI.

The survey also found that companies are already seeing generative AI decrease costs and increase revenue. No surprise, then, that business leaders are bullish. A survey from Ernst & Young found 97% of leaders whose organizations are investing in AI report positive ROI from those investments, with 34% planning to invest $10 million or more in AI this year.

Companies are always expected to do more with less. A digital workforce not only augments human potential and output, but helps organizations streamline operations since digital workers can work faster, smarter, and around the clock.

Digital labor also helps companies scale their workforces and capabilities without massive hiring. Unlike human hires, digital agents can be deployed instantly, and can adapt to business needs without the complexity of integrating and training human workers. By augmenting human teams with AI agents, companies can grow faster and do more while freeing up employees for more strategic work.

Productivity driven by digital labor is vital for GDP growth. Agents will amplify human labor, driving innovation and efficiency at scale. In the process, nearly every job will change — and, yes, some will be created and others will go away.

Salesforce customers are already rolling out digital labor platforms across sales, service, and other departments. At the Adecco Group, one of the world’s largest talent solutions companies, Agentforce (the agentic layer of the Salesforce platform) sifts through hundreds of millions of resumes automatically, pulling together a shortlist for recruiters to review.

At restaurant tech company OpenTable, Agentforce autonomously handles routine tasks, such as reservation changes and loyalty point redemptions. And at publishing company Wiley, Agentforce is tackling account access issues, resetting passwords, and triaging registration and payment issues. This is especially important for a business like Wiley’s, where digital agents make it much easier to scale its workforce during seasonal surges.

Benioff said on a podcast that Salesforce is debating the need to hire additional software engineers this year, given the gains existing engineers have seen using agents. At the same time, Agentforce now resolves 83% of customer queries on Salesforce’s help site, without escalation to a human. With a reduced need for service reps, some could be retrained for roles like sales development.

While often used interchangeably, digital labor and digital worker are distinct concepts. Digital labor refers to the overarching concept of work facilitated by digital technologies, encompassing everything from automating routine tasks to user-generated content on digital platforms. It reshapes traditional work models and processes. In contrast, a digital worker is a specific entity within digital labor — an advanced software application that mimics human capabilities and handles complex tasks.

Digital workers function as virtual employees, capable of performing various roles once exclusively the domain of human workers. These sophisticated systems can analyze data, make decisions, and even interact with customers, augmenting the capabilities of the human workforce. The rise of digital workers has created a hybrid workforce where human employees and AI-driven systems collaborate seamlessly.

One of the primary benefits of digital labor is its ability to automate repetitive and mundane tasks, freeing human workers to focus on more strategic and creative endeavors. This shift increases operational efficiency and enhances job satisfaction by allowing employees to engage in more meaningful work. Digital workers, powered by AI agents, are integral to this broader digital labor ecosystem, driving innovation and productivity.

The beauty of AI agents lies in their limitless applicability. They can be tailored to handle a diverse range of tasks:

• Personalize customer experiences: Dynamically adjust to real-time customer needs and preferences.
• Accelerate research and development: Sift through massive datasets to identify trends and insights, accelerating scientific discovery and innovation.
• Optimize logistics and supply chains: Predict demand fluctuations, proactively manage inventory, and streamline delivery routes.
• Automate complex decision-making: Analyze risk factors and potential outcomes to guide strategic business decisions.

As AI technology evolves, the potential applications of AI agents within the digital labor force are truly infinite, promising a future where human ingenuity is amplified by intelligent automation. Integrating digital workers is not just about replacing human labor; it's about creating a synergistic environment where the strengths of both are maximized. Digital employees excel at tasks requiring speed, accuracy, and large-scale data processing, while human employees bring creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. This complementary relationship fosters a more adaptable, efficient, and innovative work environment.

As transformative as digital labor is, it can’t be used in every situation.

It’s great at carrying out repetitive and routine tasks with accuracy and speed, like data entry, invoice processing, and inventory management. A digital labor force can process and analyze huge datasets to identify trends, predict outcomes, and even suggest and execute multistep processes. It also operates around the clock without breaks, ensuring intelligent, continuous operation and immediate response to customer inquiries. This positively affects customer response times and satisfaction.

What digital labor lacks, however, is emotional intelligence: It doesn’t have the empathy needed to understand and respond to human emotions. So, it’s not suitable for things like counseling or more sensitive customer service situations like serious healthcare issues.

It also lags behind humans in creative problem solving. While AI can generate solutions based on existing data, it struggles with creative problem-solving that requires human intuition and creativity. For instance, AI can analyze market trends and suggest investment strategies, but it may not come up with a groundbreaking new business model or a revolutionary product design that a human entrepreneur might envision.

Finally, at least for now, digital labor cannot predict and take account of the longer-term, cascading consequences of its actions. For example, AI can optimize a manufacturing process to reduce costs, but it may not foresee the potential environmental impact or the long-term effects on local employment and community wellbeing. In this case, humans can provide a check on AI by evaluating the broader implications.

Digital labor is a monumental shift in business, so you need the right technology partner to help you build your digital workforce. Salesforce is uniquely positioned for this. For starters, we are customer zero in our own use of Agentforce, and can share our experiences with business leaders.

As noted, Agentforce autonomously resolves online customer queries, and is also deployed throughout our site, responding to plain-language questions and surfacing information in response.

Second, AI needs access to as much good data as possible to make the best decisions. Salesforce’s platform is already the backbone for CRM, making it a natural hub for deploying digital labor. Data Cloud, a platform for unifying and harmonizing data from across the enterprise, supercharges AI agents by feeding them real-time, high-quality data from any source and of any type. This means AI can make smarter, more accurate decisions and offer personalized, contextually relevant insights. With constant learning and improvement, AI agents excel in tasks like customer service, sales forecasting, and much more.

Third, everything — apps, Data Cloud, Agentforce — is on one code base. This means there are no separate workflows. It’s like having all your tools in one toolbox. Everything works smoothly, without any compatibility hiccups. Updates and improvements roll out consistently, making it easier to use and navigate all the Salesforce tools. Plus, it simplifies maintenance, so the platform stays reliable and efficient.

“We’ve only been a software company up to this point,” said Benioff on a recent podcast. “We’re not just supplying information management tools to help our customers manage and share their information anymore. We’re now providing digital workers.”

For decades, businesses have depended on human workers to drive productivity, supported by manual, reactive tools. But now, proactive AI agents can handle both repetitive, time-consuming tasks and more complex work alongside humans.

The business case for digital labor is clear: Companies can achieve more with fewer resources. AI-powered agents don’t just help with operational tasks; they enhance human creativity, improve decision-making, and streamline workflows.

SaaS lowered the barriers to tech, created new leaders and laggards, and transformed business models. The transformation with digital labor is even more profound, unlocking a new era of productivity, agility, and scalability.

This is the golden age of human-AI collaboration, where the power of technology unlocks the full potential of every employee while increasing your ROI.

As OpenAI, a pioneer in generative AI, wrote recently, “the broad economic benefits of [AI] technology will catalyze a reindustrialization across the country.”

Lisa Lee is a contributing editor at Salesforce. She has written about technology and its impact on business for more than 25 years. Prior to Salesforce, she was an award-winning journalist with Forbes.com and other publications.

Graham Hardt, senior director at Salesforce, contributed to this article.