The New York Times · 25 Oct, 09:01 · Artificial Intelligence briefing

Put Your A.I. Agents to Work With These 5 Killer Tasks

The New York Times highlights five practical applications for artificial intelligence agents, moving beyond theoretical discussion to actionable workplace tasks.

What it means for you ↓ Courses for this story

25–40%salary premium for professionals with applied AI skills

11xgrowth in AI job adverts since 2019

66%of leaders won't hire without AI literacy

20days to your first credential

The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

The New York Times highlights five practical applications for artificial intelligence agents, moving beyond theoretical discussion to actionable workplace tasks. The report identifies specific scenarios where autonomous AI tools can significantly enhance productivity, such as automating routine administrative duties, streamlining data analysis, and managing complex scheduling. By focusing on executable tasks rather than abstract concepts, the article provides a clear framework for professionals seeking to integrate these technologies into their daily workflows. This guidance aims to help workers understand how AI agents can function as collaborative assistants, thereby reducing manual effort and allowing humans to concentrate on higher-value strategic activities within their respective organisations.

Employer demand for AI Strategy skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This shift from passive AI tools to active agents demands that you adapt quickly. Traditional execution skills are depreciating; conversely, skills in task orchestration, prompt engineering, and critical oversight are rising sharply in value. You must learn to define outcomes precisely and audit AI outputs rigorously. Professionals who ignore this trend risk obsolescence, while those who master agent management will gain a significant efficiency advantage. Your next step is to identify repetitive tasks in your current role and experiment with AI agents to handle them. Do not wait for formal training. Start by delegating small, well-defined projects to these tools. This hands-on experience will teach you the nuances of human-AI collaboration, positioning you as a forward-thinking leader who leverages technology to drive productivity rather than merely consuming it.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are AI Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Project Management and Business And Management — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

Enrol in these
to benefit.

These programmes position you for exactly this shift — online, self-paced, and finishing with a verifiable certificate you can share the day you pass.