Generative AI is the first significant leap forward in personal technology since the smartphone. Much like the impact of handheld devices, AI is being integrated into daily life at an unprecedented rate. To determine how things are going, Microsoft and LinkedIn recently partnered to create the 2024 Work Trends Index, surveying 31,000 people across 31 countries. The project aimed to identify labor and hiring trends and insights regarding AI’s implications for work.
As AI becomes more prolific in the workplace, employees and companies are under extreme pressure to do more with fewer resources. This intense environment has inspired employees to bring their own AI to the workplace. Experts agree that AI is imperative for modern business, but many companies do not have a strategic plan to move from individual efforts to a corporate-wide initiative to improve the bottom line. On a more macro level, the labor market is poised to shift into a new AI economy.
“AI is democratizing expertise across the workforce. Our latest research highlights the opportunity for every organization to apply this technology to drive better decision-making, collaboration — and ultimately business outcomes.” – Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft
Key Findings in the Work Trend Index
- Employees want AI and won’t necessarily wait for their employers.
75% of knowledge workers currently utilize AI to perform their jobs. Overwhelmed employees have found that AI saves time, boosts productivity, and opens up creativity. While four of five business leaders agree that AI adoption is vital to remain competitive, 59% worry about effectively quantifying the increased productivity related to AI, and 60% believe their organization lacks the vision to implement AI company-wide. While leaders ruminate on the metrics, employees aren’t waiting for them to officially roll it out. In fact, 78% of AI users bring their AI tools to the workplace. - AI represents new job opportunities for early adopters.
The Work Trend Index reveals that AI is only beginning to impact the labor market. While many are afraid of losing their jobs to AI, some employees consider AI a way to break their personal career ceilings. Employees with AI skills will be the first at the table of the new AI economy. This upward mobility has caught the attention of leaders concerned about having enough talent to fill cybersecurity, engineering, and creative design positions. - Employees are taking their AI skill development into their own hands.
A separate LinkedIn study revealed that 85% of tech professionals are considering career moves in the next year. Although two-thirds of business leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, less than 40% of employees have been provided training in the workplace. Therefore, IT professionals are skilling up on their own. AI platforms such as Copilot and ChatGPT are actively pursued by both technical and non-technical employees. The key takeaway on this point is that businesses that provide and empower their people with AI tools and training will attract the best talent, and those who take advantage of learning opportunities will have a competitive edge in the job market. - AI power users have significantly reorganized their workday and workflows.
The research identified AI users along a spectrum, from skeptics who were wary of using AI to “power users” who use these tools extensively. AI power users have fundamentally changed their methodologies, recreating business processes and saving approximately 2.5 hours per week. The vast majority of these power users claim that AI helps them to manage their workloads and, in turn, make their work more enjoyable. However, power users typically have higher levels of support within the company. 61% of power users have spoken directly with their CEO about using generative AI, 53% receive encouragement from leadership, and 35% receive specialized AI training for their specific role.
“AI is redefining work, and it’s clear we need new playbooks. It’s the leaders who build for agility instead of stability and invest in skill building internally that will give their organizations a competitive advantage and create more efficient, engaged, and equitable teams.” – Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn
Alliance IT Can Help with AI Tools
If you are a Sarasota SMB looking to integrate AI capabilities and training into your culture, call Alliance IT. We can help you to determine the best way to support your employees, retain talent and remain competitive. Call today to learn more.
