AI at work is here, now comes the hard part

The 2024 Microsoft and LinkedIn Work Trend Index report highlights the transformative impact of generative AI in Australian workplaces, revealing cultural shifts and essential actions for businesses and employees. The report, based on data from 31,000 knowledge workers across 31 countries, shows that 84% of Australian workers use AI, surpassing usage in Europe and North America.

Key Themes and Actions for AI Integration:

1. Employee Demand for AI:

Australian employees are proactive in AI adoption, with 84% using generative AI, significantly higher than the global average of 75%. 80% of Australian leaders recognize the necessity of AI for competitiveness, yet 70% feel unprepared for its implementation.

Many employees bring their own AI tools to work, a trend spanning all age groups, emphasizing the need for businesses to harness this momentum for ROI.

2. AI’s Impact on Careers:

AI is influencing job markets, with 87% of Australian hiring managers planning to expand their workforce, and 76% of professionals considering job changes in 2024 for better pay and work-life balance.

Australian leaders highly value AI skills, with 75% unwilling to hire candidates lacking them, although only 39% of LinkedIn users have received companyprovided AI training.

Consequently, professionals are independently enhancing their AI skills, as evidenced by a significant increase in LinkedIn users adding AI skills to their profiles.

3. Rise of AI Power Users:

AI power users, who extensively utilize AI, save over 30 minutes daily and reorient their work processes In Australia, power users are more likely to receive communication from CEOs about AI’s importance compared to global counterparts.

There is a need for greater AI experimentation and training in Australia, as only 19% of power users experiment with AI compared to 68% globally.

New Microsoft Copilot Innovations:

Microsoft has introduced new features in Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance AI usage:

• Auto complete: Provides detailed suggestions to improve prompts

• Rewrite: Transforms basic prompts into rich ones

• Catch Up: Offers personalized insights and recommendations

• Copilot Lab: Allows creation and management of tailored prompts

To support AI skill development, LinkedIn offers over 50 free learning courses.

The full Work Trend Index Report and more insights on AI's impact on the labour market are available on WorkLab and LinkedIn.

For additional resources related to these announcements, visit the Microsoft microsite.