What comes after AI Agents?

What comes after AI Agents? Digital Colleagues!

The future shape of AI is getting clear from the talks at the AI Engineer World's Fair in San Francisco. We got introduced to Chatbots via ChatGPT in 2022. Agents started in 2025 and are maturing now in 2026. In 2027, we will start to get Digital Colleagues.
Here are some of the key differences:

- Agents stop working when you close your laptop or when they have completed a task. Digital Colleagues are persistent. They stay alive, can be contacted, and keep working.
- Agents don't get better over time. Digital colleagues learn as they go and get better with feedback. That part is still being built. Two of the tracks here are Memory & Continual Learning and Computer Use, so the industry hasn't solved it yet either.
- Agents execute tasks or sometimes short term goals. Digital colleagues have responsibilities or roles.

What challenges and opportunities does this create for you and your organisation? Will you welcome your digital colleagues?