The current pace of work is surpassing human capacity to keep up, and artificial intelligence may be ready to create an entirely new way of working. The transition to AI on platforms is underway and could potentially transform a large part of our daily lives.

The avalanche of data, information, and always-on communications has us struggling to bear the load, while business leaders are trying to boost productivity amid economic uncertainty. Increasingly, we spend our time managing the noise, often at the expense of creativity and creating real value. The toll on individual productivity continues to rise, undermining organizational productivity and overall profitability.

Artificial intelligence can help alleviate this burden. Next-generation copilots already work alongside people, freeing them from digital stress and fueling innovation. Organizations that embrace AI will unleash creativity and unlock productivity for everyone, ushering in a new wave of growth and value creation.

In the words of Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft—the company leading AI integration in business solutions like Business Central and Dynamics 365 Sales—“This new generation of artificial intelligence will remove the tedium from work and unleash creativity.”

Microsoft surveyed 31,000 people across 31 countries and analyzed trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn. The results highlight three key insights that business leaders should know while seeking to adopt AI quickly and responsibly.

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Digital debt is costing us innovation

We all have digital debt: constant streams of data, emails, meetings, notifications… all exceeding our ability to process them. And the pace of work keeps intensifying. Everything seems important, and we spend our days trying to keep up.

64% of respondents report struggling to find the time and energy needed to do their work. These individuals are also more likely to face challenges with innovation and strategic thinking. 60% of leaders already feel these effects, expressing concern over a lack of innovation or breakthrough ideas within their teams.

Every minute spent managing digital debt is a minute not spent on the creative work that drives innovation. In a world where creativity and innovation are essential for productivity and competitiveness, digital debt is not just an annoyance—it’s a business problem.

Increasing work hours is not the solution, because that also increases meetings, communications, notifications, and information. Observing how people spend their time makes it clear that a lack of focused time, the search for information, and constant communications carry a high opportunity cost:

• 68% report not having enough uninterrupted focused time during their workday.
• 62% struggle with the time spent searching for information.
• 57% of an average employee’s time in Microsoft 365 apps is spent on communications (meetings, email, chat).
• 25% of the heaviest email users spend over 8 hours per week in email.
• 25% of those who spend the most time in meetings dedicate over 7 hours per week.

And these figures are for classic office roles. For knowledge workers, who increasingly rely on digital communication, the proportion is even higher. AI can tip the balance in favor of people, helping them regain time and energy for the important work that drives innovation, from three key angles.

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Inefficient meetings: the main productivity disruptor

Meetings are two of the top three disruptors of individual productivity. Their inefficiency (ranked first) and high frequency (third) are daily challenges for workers.

An inefficient meeting isn’t just a waste of time—it can also harm motivation. In virtual meetings that dominate the workday, brainstorming is difficult (58%), catching up latecomers is challenging (57%), summarizing discussions is hard (56%), and clarifying next steps is often unclear (55%). Since 2020, we have three times more Teams meetings and calls weekly—how much additional time do we need each day for them to be productive?

We need to improve meetings. The main motivation for making meetings worthwhile is to receive information that helps do work better, followed by providing feedback, making decisions, or advancing projects. Steps to achieve this include:

• Identify and address productivity disruptors in your organization using firsthand insights. Listen to employees.
• Rethink the workday with AI to free up time and energy.
• Treat meetings as a digital artifact. Leverage AI-powered recaps, transcriptions, and recordings.

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AI to lighten the workload

Lately, the main consequence associated with AI seems to be job loss or replacement. But respondents are clear: people are more eager to use AI to lighten their workload than fearful of losing their jobs.

• 49% worry about being replaced by AI, reflecting media headlines and widespread sentiment.
• 70% want to delegate more work to AI to ease their burden.

People want relief from work-induced burnout and are increasingly turning to AI for nearly all aspects of their jobs:

• 76% feel comfortable using it for administrative tasks.
• 79% leverage it for analytical tasks.
• 73% even use it for creative work.
• 86% use it to find information.
• 80% use it to summarize meetings and action items.
• 77% use it to plan their day.

Optimism about AI goes further. Respondents believe AI can boost their creativity, whether generating ideas (76%) or editing work (75%). The better users understand the technology, the greater potential they see. Among creative roles familiar with AI, 87% feel comfortable using it for creative aspects of their work.

Business leaders are always looking to empower employees. In most cases, AI is not seen as a replacement but as an enabler. Leaders aim to grow their workforce with AI, not shrink it. Reducing headcount is the last resort in a list led by goals like boosting productivity, assisting with necessary but repetitive tasks, enhancing employee well-being, eliminating low-value work, improving skills, and accelerating work pace.

How do respondents envision 2030? With AI, people expect to:

• Produce high-quality work in half the time (33%).
• Find more valuable ways to use time (26%) and energy (25%).
• Never again absorb unnecessary information (23%).

Here’s how to start achieving this—not in 2030, but in 2024:

• Bring together organizational leaders to create boundaries for safely experimenting with AI.
• Manage change as you would with any platform: choose disciplines, processes, workflows, and identify champions to lead the transition.
• Deploy AI where people need the most relief.

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Training and upskilling

The shift to AI as a copilot requires an entirely new way of working and new AI skills. Working side by side with AI, using natural language, will become as integral as the internet or laptops today. Skills like critical thinking, analytical judgment, problem-solving, creativity, and originality are essential for every role.

Leaders see it as critical that employees learn when to leverage AI, how to write effective prompts, evaluate creative work, and verify biases. As AI shapes work, human-machine collaboration will define the next work paradigm.

Learning is not keeping pace with work demands. 60% of people feel they lack the right skills to do their job. AI will open new pathways for learning, where success depends on preparation for an AI-driven future. LinkedIn posts mentioning generative AI or GPT have increased 33-fold, and in the U.S., LinkedIn job listings referencing GPT have risen 79%. Actions to consider now:

• Help people adopt a new way of working, developing AI skills.
• Explore how roles and functions can evolve alongside AI, creating opportunities for reinvention.
• Establish processes so teams know how to follow guidance, verify copilot outputs, etc.

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Artificial intelligence is ready to reduce workload and has enormous potential to free people from digital debt. Overwhelmed employees and leaders seeking to boost productivity, innovation, and creativity have a new ally. Microsoft is at the forefront of this next big shift, offering AI across tools like Microsoft 365, Business Central, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365 Sales. Start today to create more value in your organization and a brighter, more fulfilling work future for everyone.