Wharton Professor Ethan Mollick Sees AI Shifting from Chatbot to Coworker

Mollick says AI can now perform autonomous work that reshapes strategy, coding, and risk assessment.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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Wharton professor Ethan Mollick says artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and companies should start treating AI as a system that can carry out hours of independent work, rather than just a more advanced chatbot. Mollick believes AI is reshaping key business functions like strategy, coding, and risk assessment.

Why it matters

As AI capabilities continue to grow, companies will need to rethink how they integrate and manage AI systems as autonomous co-workers rather than just conversational tools. This shift could have major implications for the future of work and the role of human employees.

The details

Mollick says AI agents are now able to perform hours of autonomous work, going beyond simple chatbot functions. This includes tasks like reshaping business strategy, writing code, and assessing risk - areas traditionally dominated by human expertise. As AI systems become more capable, companies will need to adapt their approaches to managing and leveraging this technology.

  • Mollick made these comments on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.

The players

Ethan Mollick

A professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who studies the impact of emerging technologies on business and strategy.

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What they’re saying

“Artificial intelligence is advancing so quickly that companies should stop thinking of it as a better chatbot and start treating it as a system that can carry out hours of independent work.”

— Ethan Mollick, Professor, Wharton School (Seeking Alpha)

The takeaway

As AI systems become more sophisticated, companies will need to rethink how they integrate and manage this technology, shifting from viewing it as a conversational tool to an autonomous co-worker that can reshape key business functions. This transition will have significant implications for the future of work and the role of human employees.