PodChats for FutureCOO: Human–AI collaboration and workforce orchestration

For the modern COO, the future of operational excellence in Asia hinges on perfecting human–AI collaboration and workforce orchestration. This is not about mere automation but about creating a synergistic ecosystem where human intuition and machine intelligence coalesce. 

In 2026, with Asia's diverse and rapidly evolving labour markets, the ability to orchestrate this new workforce is paramount to driving productivity, innovation, and agility. As a practising COO in the region notes, “The most successful organisations will be those that can best choreograph their human and digital talent to perform in unison.” 

Mastering this is no longer a competitive advantage but a core operational necessity. In this exclusive interview with FutureCOO, Bhaskar Roy, Chief of AI Products and Solutions at Workato, offers his perspective on the human-AI collaboration as it evolves with maturing use and industry of what the technology can and cannot do.

1.       (Define) What is Human-AI collaboration? (new role: agent manager)

a.       How would COOs define a strategic vision for Human–AI collaboration that aligns with their organisation’s core business objectives and creates a tangible competitive advantage in the Asian market? (operational efficiency - HR, drive growth – sales/marketing, improving customer experience/success)

2.       What new organisational structures and operational workflows are required to support integrated human and AI teams? (teaming up with CIO, upskilling, 

3.       Do you expect human-AI collaboration to diminish the proliferation of operational silos?

4.       Do we apply the same adoption principles used in RPA to AI? (Which specific operational processes and decisions are best suited for full automation, enhanced human judgement with AI insights, or entirely new collaborative tasks?)

5.       What are the most critical new skills—both for human employees and leadership—that COOs (and functional leaders) must develop to thrive in this new collaborative environment?

6.       How do COOs, working with CHROs, ethically manage the transition for our existing workforce, ensuring robust reskilling and upskilling pathways that align with future operational needs?

7.       What key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics can COOs, functional leaders and HR use to measure the effectiveness and ROI of Human–AI collaboration, moving beyond simple productivity gains?

8.       How will the COO's role evolve from managing people and processes to orchestrating a fluid, hybrid workforce of employees, contractors, and AI agents?

9.   Any recommendations for how to design a technology infrastructure that is both scalable and flexible enough to integrate new AI capabilities rapidly as they emerge? (partner to set guardrails, partner to identify the right tech, 

10.   Into 2026, can you share your expectations on the human-AI collaboration landscape as it develops in Asia?

11.   Questions that a COO needs to consider as they look to adopt human-AI collaboration?