White-collar workers are so overwhelmed with emails, web chats and meetings that they use artificial intelligence tools to do their jobs, even if their companies haven’t trained them to do so, according to a job trends index released Wednesday by Microsoft. and LinkedIn.
Seventy-five percent of people in desktop jobs already use AI at work, and the number of people using it has nearly doubled in the past six months, according to the report. The vast majority of workers using AI, regardless of whether they are baby boomers or Generation Z, “bring their own AI tools” rather than waiting for their companies to guide them.
“People are overwhelmed by digital debt and under pressure at work,” said Colette Stallbaumer, general manager of Microsoft chatbot Copilot and co-founder of Workload, in a video announcing the report’s results. “And they’re turning to AI for relief.” Microsoft (which also owns LinkedIn) stands to gain from AI adoption and is already taking advantage of its generative AI tools.
The new report is based on a survey of 31,000 people working in desk jobs in 31 countries, employment and hiring trends found in LinkedIn data, Microsoft 365 data, and research from Fortune 500 companies. It’s a look at how Generative AI has disrupted the workplace since tools like ChatGPT became available in late 2022. While the rapid adoption of AI raised fears that it would replace jobs, the report paints a different picture: overburdened workers seeking their own solutions. and from managers eager to hire people who have skills in using AI, even as companies themselves are lagging in training workers how to use it.
The report offers a grim look at overworked workers: Nearly 70 percent of people surveyed said they struggle with the pace and volume of their work, and nearly half feel burned out. Those who use Microsoft 365 spend most of their workday communicating with others in their company and less time working in Word and PowerPoint, a major problem that some artificial intelligence tools seek to solve. The report also found that 46 percent of people want to leave their jobs this year. Instead, they may need AI skills to get hired elsewhere.
“It’s a very interesting skill set,” says Julie Schweber, senior human resources knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management, who notes that some hiring managers are giving an advantage to job seekers with experience and skills. in artificial intelligence. “We all know it is coming. It’s going to affect everything in the workplace.”
While the report shows that AI use is increasing rapidly among office workers, its broader adoption may be slower. TO bank survey Earlier this year it found that only 20 percent of American adults had used ChatGPT for work, although that number had increased from 12 percent of people by mid-2023.
Along with the report, Microsoft also announced advancements to its Copilot tool, including an autocomplete feature that is intended to help people request the chatbot to receive better results. It also has a rewrite feature that will add context to simple prompts and a catch-up chat interface, which sends personalized reminders, such as a notification of an upcoming meeting along with information people can use to prepare.
