Can an AI agent cover for you while you're at the beach?

Summer means fun in the sun for employees on vacation, but it also often means more assignments to juggle for their coworkers back at the office. To compound the stress, those returning from time off frequently face a mountain of catch-up work, instantly undoing the good vibes. Artificial intelligence can help, according to Korn Ferry. The management consulting firm said some companies have started using AI agents, or custom bots , to lighten the summer scheduling load by handling basic correspondence, scheduling meetings and performing other administrative tasks while employees are on break. For employers, that approach also helps them balance their business needs with ensuring that workers get the downtime they need to recharge. "There is a productivity dip when someone is out, so this is about the team taking the smallest hit by having AI make clear what's due while someone is out," Bryan Ackerman, head of AI strategy and transformation for Korn Ferry, told CBS News. "It's also a huge help when that person returns to dig out from vacation." AI is good at summarizing emails and documents, and the technology can perform that task on behalf of a vacationing manager or even a senior leader. That avoids leaving team members in the lurch while the person is out, Ackerman said. "AI can make everything that was on my plate visible to colleagues while I'm gone," he said. …