Microsoft says 75% of office workers already use AI at work

In its Annual Work Trend Index, Microsoft has, unsurprisingly, published some fresh data around AI in the workplace. The big stat is that according to its survey, 75% of “knowledge workers” are already using generative AI at work, with that number doubling in the last six months alone.

The survey defines “knowledge workers” as “those who typically work at a desk (whether in an office or at home),” which is a pretty broad demographic.

Companies have developed a range of policies around the use of AI. Some companies and organizations put bans on ChatGPT early on, while others, according to Microsoft, agree AI is a necessity, with 41% of leaders rebuilding their entire businesses from scratch to center them around AI. Reportedly, 79% of leaders need to start using AI to “stay competitive,” while 60% are worried that their organization “lacks a plan and vision to implement AI.”

Clearly, there’s a lot of anxiety in the air around the rapid rise of generative AI from the top.

Regardless of a company’s policies, though, you can’t get around that 75% statistic. In fact, Microsoft says 52% of these workers don’t want to admit that they’re using AI for “their most important tasks,” while 53% are worried that use of AI on these tasks will make them appear “replaceable.”

The survey goes on to say that 78% of these workers use their own AI tools to speed up tasks, regardless of whether or not their company is providing those tools or has a fleshed-out strategy for it.

Why, you might ask? Well, according to the survey, knowledge workers are overworked and burned out — and AI can help with that. “AI power users” say generative AI is helpful in a number of ways. For example, 92% find that AI makes workloads more manageable and boosts their creativity. And 91% even say AI makes them enjoy work more.

It goes without saying that all of this data points in favor of Microsoft, a company heavily invested in the use of AI. Copilot is being integrated throughout all its applications and services, including Windows itself. Even new laptops these days come with a built-in Copilot key for even more convenient AI access.

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