The world of agents is already diverse: Travel agents help us plan dream vacations. Insurance agents (sometimes) test our patience and our faith in humanity. Secret agents [REDACTED]. Literary agents are still working on publishing my first novel…But in the world of business, AI agents are the next hot new tech.

AI has already reshaped the workplace. AI-powered copilots can handle employee inquiries. Recruitment platforms can filter through thousands of résumés. AI tools can populate professional development coursework for employees looking to grow specific skills, and much more. Now as agentic AI solutions begin to emerge, workplace tools are beginning to act independently, make decisions, and execute complex workflows with minimal human input.

What makes an agent? Tech Brew reported last month that many top tech companies such as IBM and Amazon would consider tech that is “able to interact with other tools and plan and execute workflows on their own” as agents. “These offerings, potentially some of them, they were not possible a few months ago or a year ago,” said Chano Fernandez, co-CEO of the AI-powered recruiting tool Eightfold. “You can decide which ones of them are to augment work in combination with your teams and which ones are not.”

For more on how agentic AI will affect HR, keep reading here.—AD

Arkansas is the latest state to regulate earned-wage access (EWA), a benefit that allows workers to tap into money they’ve earned ahead of their scheduled payday.

The legislation, which was signed into law by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Mar. 20, applies to EWA providers, but not the employers that work with them. It requires EWA providers to offer at least one option at no cost, disclose all fees associated with their services, and allow consumers to cancel the services without being charged.

EWA providers are also barred from sharing any portion of fees, tips, or gratuities with employers under the Arkansas law.

Benefit draws regulatory scrutiny. Some 12% of employers offer EWA, according to a 2023–2024 report from Sapient Insights Group, with organizations such as the Nashville Predators and Dayforce touting the benefit. Supporters of the benefit have suggested it can have positive effects on the workforce, boosting businesses’ ability to recruit and retain talent, as well as foster loyalty among workers.

For more on EWA and its regulation, keep reading here.—CV

Retailers and Big Four accounting firms aren’t the only ones rolling back their DEI programs this year: Some of the nation’s largest banks are doing so as well. In February, Citi said it would reverse a policy of requiring a diverse slate of job candidates and removed DEI from the name of its DEI and talent function, rebranding it the “Talent Management and Engagement” team. And Goldman Sachs discontinued a policy of only working with public companies that had two or more diverse board members.

JPMorgan Chase, the country’s largest bank, has now joined its peers in revamping its DEI programs. In a memo to employees seen by Reuters, COO Jenn Piepszak said the bank would change the name of its DEI program to DOI, or “diversity, opportunity, and inclusion.” Some functions that once fell under the DEI team would now be relegated to the HR or corporate responsibility teams, she wrote.

“This means some activities, councils or chapters may be consolidated to streamline our process and engagement strategy,” she noted.

For more on JPMorgan’s approach to DEI, keep reading on CFO Brew.—CV