The future of FM is not human versus AI. It is a new collaboration model between humans, augmented workers and AI agents.
This theme captures how participants imagined the future AI native FM organization. The discussion did not suggest that AI would simply replace the human role. Instead, participants described a future in which work is distributed differently across humans, augmented workers and AI agents.
The notes referred to “changing skillset,” “different tasks & competencies,” “augmented collaboration,” and the need to “keep your human touch.” One of the most striking outputs was the suggested shift from a 2025 model of approximately “Agents 1%, augmented 4%, human 95%” toward a 2035 model of “Agents 25%, augmented 25%, human 50%.” This does not suggest the disappearance of human FM. It suggests a significant redesign of how work is shared, supported and coordinated.
Much of the conversation about AI focuses on automation. Roundtable data suggests that this is too narrow. The future of FM is unlikely to be defined simply by humans doing the work or AI doing the work. It is more likely to involve a blended model in which some tasks remain human led, some are AI assisted, and some may be performed by agents under human oversight.
This matters because FM work is not a single type of work. It includes operational planning, maintenance, workplace experience, supplier management, energy performance, compliance, asset life cycle decisions, reporting, service coordination, user engagement and strategic advice. Some of these activities may be highly suitable for automation or augmentation. Others depend on judgment, trust, context, negotiation, empathy and relationships.
The shift toward human, augmented and agentic collaboration therefore raises important questions. Which tasks should be delegated to AI agents? Which should be supported by AI but remain human owned? Which should remain human led because they depend on trust, care, context or accountability? These are not only technical questions. They are operating model questions.
The data also suggests that trust becomes more important as AI becomes more embedded. If AI begins to shape decisions, allocate tasks, summarize evidence, recommend actions or coordinate workflows, people need to understand how those outputs are created, where accountability sits and when human judgment must intervene.
FM leaders should begin preparing for a future in which the FM operating model includes human roles, augmented roles and agentic capabilities. This requires more than selecting AI tools. It requires a deliberate design of work, accountability, trust and collaboration.
A practical starting point is to map FM work by the level of AI involvement.
FM leaders should also create a clear collaboration framework for human and AI work. This framework should clarify what AI can do, what people remain accountable for, how outputs should be checked, and how errors should be managed.
A simple framework could include the following elements.
This future also requires scenario thinking. FM leaders should ask what their organization might look like in 5-10 years if AI agents become a normal part of service delivery, reporting, planning and decision support. The goal is not to predict the future perfectly. It is to prepare the organization to make deliberate choices as the technology matures.
The fifth theme shows that the AI native FM organization will not be purely human led or purely automated. Participants imagined a future in which work is shared across humans, augmented workers and AI agents.
The message for FM leaders is to design this collaboration deliberately. The future of FM should not be framed as human versus AI. It should be framed as a new operating model in which AI extends human capability, while trust, accountability, judgment and human connection remain central.
International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports over 26,000 members in 140 countries. Since 1980, IFMA has worked to advance the FM profession through education, events, credentialing, research, networking and knowledge-sharing.
