SD Worx, one of Europe's leading HR and payroll providers, has announced the introduction of agentic AI within its payroll operations.
The initiative marks a significant milestone in the evolution of payroll services, moving beyond traditional automation towards a model where human experts and AI work together as integrated teams.
At the heart of this transformation is Yuma's Akgent paradigm: a new approach to AI that enables humans and AI actors to collaborate seamlessly within the same operational environment.
Rather than treating AI as a standalone assistant, Akgents are designed as specialized actors that work alongside people and other AI actors, creating resilient hybrid squads capable of handling complex business processes at scale.
From AI Assistants to Human–AI Squads
Payroll is one of the most demanding operational environments in any organization. It requires deep expertise, strict compliance, accuracy, and constant responsiveness to employee and customer needs.
To meet these challenges, SD Worx has embraced an agentic operating model in which payroll professionals are supported by multiple specialized AI actors. These actors assist with customer interactions, knowledge retrieval, operational support, and administrative tasks, allowing payroll consultants to focus more of their time on customer value, problem-solving, and expert guidance.
This approach reflects a broader shift taking place across enterprises. While many organizations are still experimenting with isolated AI tools, the next wave of transformation centers on coordinated human–AI teams that can continuously learn, adapt, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Bringing the Akgents Vision to Life
At Yuma, we believe the future of work is not human versus AI, but human and AI working together.
The Akgent paradigm was created to make that vision a reality. Inspired by the Actor Model, Akgents are autonomous yet collaborative actors that maintain their own context, perform specialized tasks, and coordinate with humans and other actors to achieve shared goals.
The result is a more scalable and sustainable operating model than traditional workflow-based automation. Instead of relying on rigid processes, organizations can build adaptive systems in which expertise is distributed across humans and AI, enabling faster decision-making, greater resilience, and improved customer experiences.
The implementation at SD Worx demonstrates how this vision can be applied in a highly regulated and business-critical environment. By combining payroll expertise with specialized AI actors, SD Worx is creating a new model for delivering payroll services that balances efficiency, quality, and human oversight.
I'm often ask to comment on what it takes for an AI Transformation to be successful, and one of the main ingredients is that you function as a partnership. There is no client and provider, there is only us! There are only common objectives!
We succeed and we fail together! This is what we do with SD Worx every day. And this is why we are able to move mountains with AIT.
Mihailo Backović, Managing Partner - Yuma
A Partnership Built on Trust and Shared Ambition
For Yuma, this milestone is about much more than technology.
It is the result of a strong partnership with the SD Worx team, built on shared ambition, openness to innovation, and a commitment to creating meaningful value for customers and employees alike.
Over the past months, we have had the privilege of working closely with SD Worx to explore what true human–AI collaboration can look like in practice. Together, we have translated the Akgents vision into a real-world operating model that empowers payroll professionals while maintaining the expertise, accuracy, and trust that payroll services demand.
What has made this collaboration particularly rewarding is the combination of bold thinking and practical execution demonstrated by the SD Worx teams. Their willingness to pioneer new ways of working while staying focused on tangible business outcomes has made them an exceptional partner on this journey.
We are incredibly grateful for the trust SD Worx has placed in Yuma and proud of what we have achieved together so far.
Looking Ahead
The introduction of agentic AI into payroll operations is an important milestone, but it is only the beginning.
As organizations continue to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, the ability to create effective human–AI squads will become a key competitive advantage. The collaboration between SD Worx and Yuma demonstrates how agentic AI can move beyond pilots and become a structural capability that transforms how work gets done.
We are excited to continue this journey together with SD Worx and look forward to helping more organizations unlock the full potential of human–AI collaboration through Akgents.
Because the future of work is not built by humans or AI alone. It is built by humans and AI working together.
