At the Portfolio AI in Energy 2026 conference, representatives from Microsoft, MVM, Attrecto, E.ON and the Energiastratégia Intézet discussed how artificial intelligence—especially AI agents—is rapidly changing business operations and the labour market. Panelists agreed that agents are increasingly taking over routine work, with the greatest impact likely to fall on junior positions and internships.
What the companies and experts said
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Tőzsér Áron, Head of Energy at Microsoft Hungary, said AI adoption has progressed far faster than the spread of the telephone or the internet; many services are already being carried out by AI agents, delivering substantial time savings. He also noted that companies using the cloud must comply with the same EU rules, and that it is now feasible for firms to process large volumes of data with cloud providers.
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Tamáska József, Deputy CEO of MVM Group, emphasized that AI often appears as a partner in workflows rather than simply as a job-taker. He argued that AI adoption is primarily an operational issue: data awareness and data discipline are starting points, while a culture that allows experimentation and failure is also important. He warned that regulation faces a major reform driven by AI.
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Kiss Gergely, Chairman of Attrecto, pointed out that the world of software developers has changed dramatically in the past six months because of AI: theories are becoming practice and more AI agents are in use. He highlighted that agents go beyond conversational apps (e.g., ChatGPT) by doing tasks, not merely advising on them. He illustrated business simplifications with a financial agent example and suggested that agent-based “zero-employee companies” could become building blocks of future business.
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Karagich Bálint, CEO of the Energiastratégia Intézet, said there is huge potential to automate public administration bureaucracy but noted significant national-security and data-protection risks. He asked whether AI can truly replace job roles and observed that agents can already perform tasks once assigned to interns; in the US, declines in junior positions are already visible. He added that these trends will also require changes in education systems.
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Káplár-Zagyi Evelin, data analytics specialist at E.ON, argued that not everything needs to be solved with AI and that many processes can be automated with simpler solutions. She stressed the importance of AI governance—robust compliance and audit teams are needed to ensure AI developments are secure and appropriate. She expects AI to replace human resources eventually, but currently systems primarily play a supportive role, with intern replacement likely to be the first major shift.
Practical implications
Panelists agreed that agents are taking over the “grunt work,” allowing IT professionals and others to focus on higher-value tasks, such as developing the agents themselves. However, successful AI deployment is not merely technological: it requires data discipline, governance, security measures and regulatory frameworks.
Labour-market and education consequences
Experts said AI adoption will transform the labour market structure; declining junior positions mean education and training systems must adapt. Additionally, automation in government services raises national-security and privacy concerns that need to be addressed.
Summary
The conference concluded that AI agents are rapidly assuming routine, low-value tasks, which may cause short-term reductions in internships and junior roles. To implement AI safely and effectively, organisations will need strong data discipline, AI governance, security safeguards and updated regulatory and cultural frameworks that allow for experimentation.
