AI Agents vs. Employees: The Honest Math

The question isn't whether AI agents will replace employees. It's how companies will intelligently combine both.

An average customer service employee costs a company between €35,000 and €55,000 per year — including social contributions, workplace, and training. Add recruiting costs of €4,700 per hire on average and an onboarding period of 3-6 months.

A trained AI agent works around the clock, scales instantly, and documents every step. But: it can't show empathy, find creative solutions for unstructured problems, or build genuine trust.

The honest answer: AI agents aren't a replacement for people. They're the ideal complement — for everything that's process-based, repeatable, and documentable.