Startups Use AI Agents for Early Jobs Instead of Hiring People

Artificial intelligence agents are starting to take over early-stage startup tasks like engineering, customer support, research, and operations that used to go to human employees. This shift forces founders to decide which responsibilities should stay with people and which should go to AI before they even open a job listing. Meanwhile, the upcoming Disrupt 2026 event features companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Replit across six industry stages, with ticket discounts currently available for attendees.