In January, Microsoft made clear its commitment to AI and how the technology will integrate into all parts of its services in the future. However, the company has not done much to address the concerns about AI. And I am not talking about outlandish (although legitimate) doomsday predictions, but rather how AI will take over roles currently occupied by humans.
There are genuine concerns about some people simply not being needed in the future. If AI can automate roles, the need for human interaction will decrease. It is a concern that tech companies ploughing ahead with AI development are doing little to ease. Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Spotify, Twitter, PayPal, and other tech companies have laid off tens of thousands of employees in recent weeks.
While those job losses are not to have AI replace them, now seems like a good time to discuss the future of jobs in an AI world. If tech companies cannot maintain employees in times of little automation, they are hardly likely to retain them when automation becomes normal.
Yet, a Microsoft survey suggests that a majority of professionals are awaiting AI automation with open arms. The survey shows 85% of participants want collaboration tools to feature more automation features.
Automation, Yes Please
The survey covers 2,700 employees and 1,800 BDMs (business decision-makers) from the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. 89% of participants who currently use AI-driven automation tools “feel more fulfilled because they can spend time on work that truly matters.”
Furthermore, 89% even want AI to automate more tasks and activities. For example, 77% want AI to handle code and welcome the idea of low-code or even no-code developer tools.
In relation to that, 89% or 9 in 10 individuals said they wish they could apply AI solutions to even more tasks and activities.
“The survey findings are clear: people want digital productivity tools that allow them to cut out the busywork so they can focus on the real tasks at hand,” Microsoft concludes. “They also want a say in how these tools are selected and implemented. Perhaps most of all, they want tools that are intuitive and easy to use, and that allow them to collaborate seamlessly and work efficiently—wherever ‘work’ happens to be.”
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