[Jjinbit] "Stop the pointless meetings..." Why is MS bringing AI into the office?

AI Integration in Work Productivity Tools Since Last March
"Increasing Work Efficiency" Gains High Demand Among Office Workers

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is a shortened form of 'Jung Hyunjin's Business Trend' and 'Real Business Trend,' a segment that showcases trends in changes in work.

Since the release of ChatGPT, office workers have been buzzing. It can be used for emails and report writing, and by simply inputting questions, it provides ideas, making it highly useful during work. Companies providing enterprise software services are moving quickly. Microsoft (MS), which invested in ChatGPT developer OpenAI, announced 'Copilot' available in MS365 last March, and Google also integrated AI features into Workspace.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Can AI reduce the workload of office workers? MS conducted a survey from February to March targeting 31,000 people across 31 markets worldwide, and based on this, released the 'Work Trend Index' report on the 9th (local time), analyzing and forecasting the combination of AI and work styles. MS stated that AI will contribute to improving work efficiency and emphasized the importance of acquiring related technologies in the future.

① Excessive time spent on unnecessary meetings and email processing

MS first pointed out that office workers are overwhelmed with digital tasks they need to handle daily. According to the report, two out of three survey respondents said they struggle to secure enough time and energy to focus on work due to various data tasks, email processing, and attending meetings. 68% of respondents said they do not have sufficient uninterrupted time to concentrate during working hours.

Analyzing usage time of MS365 programs in March, MS found that communication tools accounted for 57% of usage, while creative work activity tools accounted for 43%, indicating that work time is concentrated on communication. For communication, Teams Meetings (23%), Teams Chat (19%), and email (15%) were the top tools, while for creative work activity tools, Excel (18%), Word (10%), PowerPoint (8%), and OneNote (7%) were the main ones.

Notably, when respondents were asked to rank the biggest productivity killers during working hours, the top answer was 'attending unnecessary meetings.' Among MS Teams Meeting users, the top 25% who spent the most time in meetings averaged 7 hours and 30 minutes of meetings during weekdays. This is practically equivalent to spending an entire workday in meetings. Complaints also arose about attending meetings with unclear purposes and failing to produce results.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Regarding email processing time, the top 25% in usage time averaged 8.8 hours during weekdays.

MS evaluated, "The influx of data, emails, meetings, and alerts has exceeded human capacity to handle them, and the pace of work is accelerating," adding, "In an era where creativity becomes new productivity, such digital tasks are more than just inconvenient."

② Anxiety about job loss, but reducing work burden is more important

MS analyzed that in this work environment, office workers have a strong desire to use AI to improve work efficiency. Although there is significant anxiety that jobs may disappear due to AI, attention is focused on finding ways to use AI to reduce work burdens.

According to MS's survey, about half of respondents were concerned that AI could replace jobs. However, about 70% said they would use AI for as many tasks as possible to reduce work burden. Especially, corporate leaders, when asked about the most valuable change AI brings to the workplace, paid more than twice as much attention to 'productivity improvement' (31%) than to 'staff reduction' (16%, multiple responses allowed).

Office workers expressed a desire to use AI not only for simple 'administrative tasks' (76%) but also for 'analytical tasks' (79%) and 'creative tasks' (73%) to reduce their workload, indicating a wish to utilize AI across all aspects of work.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

MS stated, "When asked to imagine the work environment in 2030, many respondents cited saving time by performing high-quality work and quickly learning new technologies as the most valuable changes." Additionally, respondents hoped to reduce the time and energy spent on work and minimize unnecessary emails and information exchanges, enabling truly 'smart' work.

③ "Employees with AI skills are important... GPT mentioned more in job postings"

As AI-powered work diversifies, MS emphasized that it will be important for office workers to have the ability to utilize AI. The skill respondents rated as most important in an AI-enabled office was 'analytical thinking' (30%). They also saw 'flexibility' and 'emotional recognition' as necessary.

Since the release of ChatGPT in November last year, as AI use in work has gradually increased, companies are accelerating efforts to secure talent capable of using AI. MS reported that job postings mentioning GPT in the U.S. on LinkedIn, a business-focused social networking service and MS affiliate, increased by 79% in March compared to the previous year. In MS's survey, 8 out of 10 corporate leaders said, "Employees need to acquire new skills to prepare for the expansion of AI technology."

Satya Nadella, CEO of MS, said, "The new generation of AI will eliminate the drudgery of work and enable creativity," adding, "AI-based tools offer tremendous opportunities to reduce digital burdens, develop AI skills, and empower employees."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.