How AI is reshaping the professional landscape

The year 2024 marks a turning point in the use of generative AI in the workplace. According to the analysis conducted by Microsoft and LinkedIn, "AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part", 75% of global knowledge workers are already using AI tools to manage their workload. This rapid adoption is reflected in an almost doubling of usage in just six months. AI applications help employees to save time (90 percent approval), focus on more important tasks (85 percent), be more creative (84 percent) and enjoy their work more (83 percent).

Despite this positive feedback, many executives lack a clear strategy for integrating AI into business processes, which increases the pressure to demonstrate short-term returns. Uncertainty about the quantifiable productivity gains of AI technologies makes many executives hesitant to implement artificial intelligence. And this happens even though they actually believe that AI is essential for their company's competitiveness.

AI in the workplace: a new standard

The dynamics on the labor market are also changing as a result of AI. On the one hand, there is often a fear of losing one's job; on the other hand, the report reveals a more or less hidden talent shortage and a high demand for AI skills. Managers are willing to hire less experienced candidates as long as they have AI skills. Remarkably, 66 percent of executives say they would not hire someone without AI skills. Despite the great importance of AI, surprisingly only 39 percent of the knowledge workers surveyed have received AI training from their employer. So there is still plenty of room for improvement here.

While AI use is increasing across all generations of workers, young professionals in particular with AI skills, or at least a willingness to learn them intensively, have the opportunity to move up the career ladder faster and take advantage of broader career opportunities. Another trend is "Bring Your Own AI" (BYOAI): 78 percent of AI users bring their own AI tools to work, without the knowledge or consent of their employer. This mainly occurs in small and medium-sized companies, which indicates a gap in the provision of suitable AI tools by companies. 53 percent of people who use AI at work conceal this tactile issue because they do not want to appear replaceable. Although the use of BYOAI differs by generation, the differences are not really significant: in Gen Z the proportion is 85 percent, among millennials 78 percent, in Gen X 76 percent and among boomers aged 58 or older 73 percent.

The future of the AI-supported working world

The report also shows how AI has fundamentally changed the world of work. AI-experienced users, so-called power users, use AI intensively and report significant improvements in their work performance and satisfaction. These users are an example of how AI can reshape the workplace by automating routine tasks and allowing employees to focus on more creative and strategic tasks.

Companies that actively promote and support the introduction of AI, for example through targeted training and the integration of AI into business processes, are likely to be leaders in the use of this technology and gain a competitive advantage.

The analysis also highlights the need for organizations to take a proactive stance on AI integration in order to increase both job satisfaction and business performance. Overall, it becomes clear that AI is not just a technological change, but a comprehensive transformation of work culture and practices that has the potential to change or even revolutionize virtually all aspects of work.

ITIL 4 Foundation Practice

In the course ITIL 4 Foundation Practice you will learn how to manage IT services through a Service Value System, combining traditional approaches with modern methods such as Scrum. You will receive an introduction to ITIL 4, examine case studies and explore key concepts of service management. The course also covers the seven basic principles and four dimensions of service management, the continual improvement model and various ITIL practices.