A new paper from researchers at MIT and IBM, “Future of Work with AI Agents,” outlines how AI will impact roles across the workforce, and executive support is right in the spotlight.
For those still clinging to the idea that assistants will be replaced by automation, let me offer a reality check.
The data says otherwise.
Executive Assistants are in a prime position to lead this transformation, not be sidelined by it.
Here’s what the research confirms:
➡️ EAs should be automating low-value tasks. Scheduling, data entry, calendar alignment, if it’s repetitive and rule-based, get it off your plate. Fast.
➡️ The role isn’t shrinking. It’s expanding. When AI handles the admin, EAs have more time for strategic planning, nuanced communication, research synthesis, and decision support, the work that actually moves the business forward.
➡️ AI + Human = Impact. This is a moment to double down on the human skills that machines can’t replicate: judgment, emotional intelligence, business intuition, trust-building, discretion.
And it’s not just on assistants to make this shift.
Executives, listen up.
If you want to unlock the full potential of AI in your business, it starts with your EA.
✅ Give them space to experiment safely with AI tools.
✅ Support them in upskilling, not just technically, but strategically.
✅ And crucially, delegate upward. As AI takes care of the routine, give your assistant the higher-value work they’ve been ready to take on for years.
This isn’t about replacement.
It’s about recalibration.
The assistant role is evolving from administrative to advisory, from support to strategy. But only if we let it.
The future of work is already here. Let’s stop asking if EAs will survive AI, and start asking: How can we empower them to lead it?
