According to new research from Microsoft and LinkedIn, three-quarters of knowledge workers now use AI at work.
Microsoft partnered with LinkedIn for the first time to produce the 2024 Work Trend Index, which assesses AI’s substantive impact on the workplace.
The survey found that 75 percent of workers use AI at work to save time, enhance creativity, and create scope for focus on crucial tasks — including 78 percent using their own AI tools at work. Additionally, almost four-fifths (79 percent) of leaders believe AI adoption is essential for staying competitive. However, 59 percent struggle to measure AI’s productivity gains, while three-fifths feel their company lacks a clear vision and plan for implementation.
Microsoft annotates these findings by suggesting that every leader has the opportunity to capitalise on this momentum and translate it into tangible ROI.
Jared Spataro – CVP of AI at Work at Microsoft, wrote in an accompanying blog post:
People are bringing AI to work at an unexpected scale — and now the big question is, how’s it going?(…) The labour market is set to shift, and there’s a new AI economy. While some professionals worry AI will replace their job, the data tells a more nuanced story — of a hidden talent shortage, more employees eyeing a career change, and a massive opportunity for those willing to skill up.”
As part of the research, Microsoft surveyed 31,000 people in 31 countriesanalyseded labour and hiring trends from LinkedIn, examined trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals, and conducted research with Fortune 500 customers.
“AI is democratising expertise across the workforce,” added Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Microsoft. “Our latest research highlights the opportunity for every organisation to apply this technology to drive better decision-making, collaboration — and ultimately business outcomes.”
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Other Compelling Findings
The Work Trend Index suggests that AI is reshaping the job market, prompting more professionals to consider career changes while creating demand for AI-skilled workers. However, as many as 55 percent of leaders, particularly in fields like cybersecurity and engineering, worry about finding enough talent to fill open roles.
LinkedIn studies show a record-high number of professionals considering quitting, especially in the US, with a study suggesting 85 percent of respondents considering career changes yet, despite leaders prioritising AI-skilled hires, less than two-fifths of users have received AI training from employers (39 percent).
Consequently, professionals are self-upskilling. LinkedIn members adding AI skills like Copilot and ChatGPT to their profiles have grown 142x. Nontechnical professionals leveraging LinkedIn Learning courses to improve their AI skill set have increased by 160 percent.
Microsoft also outlined a new type of employee—the AI “power user” who has “reoriented their workdays in fundamental ways, reimagining business processes and saving over 30 minutes per day,” according to Spataro.
According to Microsoft, over 90 percent of power users find AI helps them handle their workload better and enjoy their work more. These users typically work for companies that stress AI adoption: They’re 61 percent more likely to have a CEO who emphasises the importance of using generative AI, over half are more likely to receive encouragement from leadership to explore AI’s transformative potential, and 35 percent are more likely to receive specialised training for their roles.
New Copilot Features
Microsoft also introduced some new Copilot features to support customers intimidated by AI this week.
If a user has a prompt in mind, Copilot can assist by suggesting detailed auto-completions to refine and enhance their query. This aims to accelerate the process and provide novel ideas for leveraging Copilot’s capabilities to more effectively achieve the user’s desired outcome.
Another new feature is “rewrite”. This allows Copilot to transform a simple prompt into a comprehensive one with just a click, instantly empowering everyone to become adept prompt engineers.
“Catch Up” introduces a novel chat interface that analyses recent activity to offer personalised insights and responsive suggestions. Microsoft suggests, for example, “You have a meeting with the sales VP on Thursday. Let’s ensure you’re prepared—click here for detailed notes.”
Lastly, soon, users will be able to craft, publish, and oversee prompts tailored to their team’s unique workflows in Copilot Lab, ensuring prompts are finely tuned to their team’s needs and preferences.
