Amjad Masad, the CEO and co-founder of Replit, has observed the effects of artificial intelligence on the workplace directly through companies using his firm's AI coding tools to create and release software. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco on Thursday, Masad discussed insights from Replit on the implications for work in the era of AI, emphasizing that people will continue to hold important positions even as AI agents collaborate with them.

He outlined his concept of a self-driving company, not in reference to autonomous vehicles but rather to how agents will take on much of the routine labor at organizations while individuals gain greater value for their decision-making and preferences.

The reality is that all of our roles, especially those of people in this audience, have shifted over the past year, he noted to the Disrupt crowd. Yet a large segment of America and the globe remains unaware that this shift is approaching, and it will catch many by surprise, Masad added.

He explained that Replit's team had considered how AI tools altered their internal operations over the past year, especially once AI agents grew more dependable earlier in the year.

Our company completely transformed its operations, and the nearest comparison is a self-driving company, Masad said. The organization is becoming self-improving, with much of the activity now propelled by agents.

To show this evolution, Masad noted that incoming support tickets at Replit are first reviewed by an agent that handles initial sorting by checking GitHub issues, the code base, and Linear tickets. Once the request reaches a human, they already have extra details to guide their next steps.

When that team member chooses to submit a patch for a fix, a single click can launch another agent to handle deployment.

This creates a full cycle where agents complete most tasks, yet human judgment remains essential in the center, and we do not expect that to change soon. Human judgment and taste are still required, Masad said.

As a result, rather than displacing roles, agents are reshaping the focus of human work.

We are devoting far more time to determining priorities, Masad continued. Across the company I notice increased discussions and whiteboarding sessions. We invest more effort in architecture and planning builds. Thus the future of work under the self-driving company model centers on understanding what AI-driven change truly involves.

He added that discussions with other firms now center on how AI can boost productivity and job satisfaction, since agents reduce tedious tasks and free people for more inventive work.

There is an optimistic outlook that Silicon Valley has not emphasized enough, and we aim to highlight it, Masad concluded.