DUBAI, UAE — In recent years, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various industries has sparked both excitement and apprehension about the future of work. As AI continues to evolve, its impact on the job landscape is becoming increasingly profound, reshaping traditional roles, creating new opportunities, and revolutionizing the way we approach tasks across diverse sectors.
AI’s transformative potential lies in its capacity to automate repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data, and augment human capabilities. This convergence has the potential to redefine numerous aspects of work, influencing how businesses operate and how employees engage with their roles.
Desk workers estimate that generative AI will save them five hours per week. This presents an exciting new opportunity for companies to tap into their teams’ creativity, strategic thinking, and innovation like never before.
Here’s what Salesforce experts expect that will look like in the workplace:
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AI will transform how we think about human productivity. Sixty percent of executives say they are primarily measuring their team’s productivity by tracking activity metrics, such as hours worked or emails sent. But this will change with the widespread use of AI in the workplace, as we start to see AI replace much of the mundane, repetitive work that we have long measured as productivity inputs.
“In the next year, businesses will transform how they measure performance and productivity to focus on outcomes like products launched or leads generated, instead of inputs. To do this, leaders will need to shift their mindset from measuring activity to measuring impact. They’ll need to clearly define the results they want to see and support their teams in aligning individual efforts against these clear objectives,” says Christina Janzer, SVP of Research & Analytics at Slack.
As AI grows more autonomous, it will free up time for more impactful work. “A primary objective for AI over the next year is using the technology to achieve full autonomy within enterprises, where standard workflows can be entirely automated. There is massive potential for AI to automate every mundane task, from order processing to financial settlement and post-sales support,” notes Param Kahlon, EVP and GM, Automation & Integration at Salesforce. “By identifying repetitive tasks and leveraging data integrations to make informed predictions and generate automations, AI is well-poised to absorb today’s routine work patterns and free our time for more fulfilling, productive, and profitable work.”
AI’s reach will offset something very human: agent attrition. “Historically low unemployment rates have exacerbated the problem of retaining customer service employees. Generative AI can lead to reduced recruitment costs as it drives up levels of self-service and improves agent productivity,” explains Ed Thompson, Market Strategist at Salesforce.
Companies will use their data plus AI to get faster and more productive. “The average desk worker is struggling with information overload. In fact, data silos add up to over 11 hours wasted a week. In the next year, we’ll start to see the very real impact of generative AI on how we work, interact with that data, and think about productivity,” highlights the ongoing shift in workplace dynamics.
“This will start with capabilities like AI-powered knowledge retrieval, which I believe best and most immediately capitalizes on getting value from customers’ existing data. Longer term, the productivity outputs will really move with more advanced generative AI capabilities like task automation and the ability to proactively surface trends and insights,” says Jackie Rocca, VP of Product, AI & Expansion at Slack.
AI will make the workplace smarter. “Chatbots and virtual assistants will simplify the employee experience by automatically booking the right space for a team’s needs. AI will also provide quick responses to inquiries, guide employees to resources, and facilitate service requests. AI will drive proactive employee engagement and experience, predicting the spaces and services employees need to thrive before employees even know they need them,” said Relina Bulchandani, EVP, Real Estate and Workplace Services at Salesforce.
Companies will adjust and adapt in an AI-driven workplace renaissance. “Today’s top talent expects more from their company than just a paycheck. To adjust, companies will place a renewed focus on workplace culture and supporting employees both inside and outside of the workplace. These investments will lead to higher employee satisfaction, better retention, and overall business success. Companies that choose to focus on these areas will continue to lead,” said David Ard, Head of Employee Success at Slack and Salesforce.