The AI vs. Labor Economy, Why Benefits Are Being Cut, The Role of Legacy Systems
From The Josh Bersin Company by Josh Bersin
May 1, 2026 · 20 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of AI on the economy, employee benefits, and the role of legacy systems in modern business.
This week we saw some astounding GDP numbers, a modest 2% growth with an astounding 70% attributed to AI capital spending. The US economy is heavily AI centric, starving spending on housing which ultimately contributes to income inequality. At the same time companies are now reducing employee benefits, halting a two decade steady increase. It’s all about the shift from labor to machines, I guess. I also talk about the role of legacy systems in the new world of Agentic HR, Agentic Finance, and Agentic ERP. Lots going on, I hope this gives you some perspective on the massive AI economic transformation we’re living in. It’s all good and one of the most exciting times in our careers. Additional Information Why AI Is A Massive Job-Creation Technology, Despite What You Think Introducing HR 2030: A Vision For Agentic Human Resources The Reinvention of Workday: From System of Record to Platform of Agents The Superagent for HR: Galileo Mars Release Irresistible 2026: The Global Conference for HR Leaders and their Teams (June 8-10, USC)
People in this episode
Host: Josh Bersin
Topics covered
- AI and economy
- employee benefits
- income inequality
- legacy systems
- Agentic HR
- AI capital spending
Keywords
- AI
- labor economy
- GDP growth
- employee benefits
- income inequality
- legacy systems
- Agentic HR
- Agentic Finance
- Agentic ERP
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: US economy, Agentic HR, Agentic Finance, Agentic ERP
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