In her keynote at QCon London 2025, Hannah Foxwell challenged the notion that AI makes us more productive, suggesting instead that AI should reduce mundane work. She emphasized that work dynamics affect team and organizational structures. Foxwell criticized the obsession with productivity stats, asserting that not every task needs completion. She promoted pursuing meaningful work over sheer productivity. Using an example of a team of AI agents, Foxwell demonstrated their effectiveness when designed with specific roles to solve real-world problems, ultimately advocating for a redefined purpose of AI in the workplace.
Instead of pursuing productivity based predominantly around an individual's capacity, Foxwell advocated for a fundamental shift in thinking: 'For most people and most teams, I think maybe we should be focusing on doing the right work and doing it better.'
When our work changes our teams change, and as our teams change our organisations will change, she noted in her talk summary.
Foxwell demonstrated a team of AI agents working together effectively, drawing on her experience of working with companies deploying agent teams in highly regulated environments.
A team of agents with specific roles will perform better than a single agent... you are going to maybe get a bit better results.
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