The frontier firm is on the rise
May 13, 2025
Microsoft says a new kind of company is emerging, one that blends human ambition with machine intelligence in ways we have never seen before. It’s called the frontier firm.
According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index, businesses that bring AI agents into the heart of their operations are pulling ahead. These frontier firms are rewriting the rules with digital labor on demand, human-AI teams that move fast, and employees who run agents like mini-CEOs. With 82% of global business leaders saying this is the year to rethink strategy, Microsoft makes it clear: the smartest companies are already building around AI.
AI agents are being used to close the widening gap between business demands and human capacity
The report finds that 53% of leaders say productivity must increase, but 80% of employees and leaders alike say they are running out of time and energy. AI agents are Microsoft’s answer to this capacity crisis. AI agents, able to reason, plan, and execute, are already handling logistics at Dow and consumer insights at Estée Lauder. Within the next 12 to 18 months, 82% of leaders expect agents to be part of their workforce.
Human-agent teams are replacing traditional organizational structures
Microsoft lays out a path that starts with simple AI assistants and ends with agents running entire workflows. At first, AI helps people move faster. Then, agents become digital coworkers. Finally, humans set direction while agents execute. This is already changing how companies structure teams and get work done. Microsoft sees the org chart giving way to a more fluid model called the Work Chart, where teams form around goals, not job titles, and agents help people work smarter.
Employees must learn how to manage agents, not just use AI as a tool
Managing agents is becoming a core job skill. Microsoft calls this role the agent boss, someone who builds, trains, and guides agents to get better results. Already, 32% of companies plan to hire AI agent specialists in the next 12 to 18 months. But most workers are not ready. While 67%of leaders are familiar with agents, only 40%of employees say the same. Microsoft says that will need to change as agents become part of daily work.
Frontier firms are already thriving, with stronger performance and happier workers
The numbers tell the story. At companies that meet Microsoft’s frontier firm definition, 71% of employees say their company is thriving, compared to just 37% globally. They are also more than twice as likely to say they can take on more work, and 90% say they get to do meaningful work. Only 21%fear that AI will replace their jobs. Frontier firms are rebuilding themselves around AI and getting results.
Centific helps frontier firms succeed by building the data infrastructure behind AI agents
To function effectively, AI agents depend on curated, contextualized, domain-specific data. Centific’s frontier AI data foundry platform is purpose-built for this challenge. The platform supports the full lifecycle of large language model development, from data generation and curation to fine-tuning and deployment across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
It is backed by more than 150 AI-enabled quality checks, integrated human-in-the-loop processes, and reinforcement learning from human feedback to help businesses tailor models to their real-world needs. Whether working in finance, healthcare, or other highly regulated sectors, organizations can use more than 100 pre-configured AI workflows to accelerate adoption and reduce ramp-up time.
Centific’s platform also addresses challenges that go beyond model training. With a global network of 1.8 million domain experts, including PhDs and data scientists, Centific supports safe, ethical AI through red teaming, purple teaming, and ongoing validation.
When datasets are scarce, expensive, or sensitive, Centific can generate synthetic alternatives that preserve data integrity without compromising compliance. Its integrated data marketplace gives businesses access to high-quality datasets, while robust AI governance policies ensure security and transparency.
By solving the hard problems around data access, quality, privacy, and deployment, Centific enables frontier firms to scale AI responsibly and with confidence.
Learn more about Centific’s frontier AI data foundry platform.
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