Upwork study shows AI agents excel with human partners but fail independently

Artificial intelligence agents powered by the world's most advanced language models routinely fail to complete even straightforward professional tasks on their own, according to groundbreaking research released Thursday by Upwork, the largest online work marketplace.But the same study reveals a more promising path forward: When AI agents collaborate with human experts, project completion rates surge by up to 70%, suggesting the future of work may not pit humans against machines but rather pair them together in powerful new ways.The findings, drawn from more than 300 real client projects posted to Upwork's platform, marking the first systematic evaluation of how human expertise amplifies AI agent performance in actual professional work — not synthetic tests or academic simulations. The rese