Microsoft AI Warns Of White-Collar Automation

Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI CEO, told the Financial Times that AI will reach human-level performance on most professional tasks within 18 months, threatening automation of accounting, legal, marketing and project management. He cites exponential compute growth and Microsoft’s push for independent foundation models; the sector already saw 55,000 AI-related layoffs in 2025 and a recent 'SaaSpocalypse' software-stock selloff.