Creating a Smarter Workplace with AI
Many employees have mixed feelings about AI. In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 52 percent of workers said they are worried about AI’s impact on the workplace, with 32 percent concerned that AI would take away job opportunities. Just 36 percent are hopeful about the future of AI in the workplace, while 33 percent feel overwhelmed.
However, a 2024 McKinsey study found that many employees are already using AI for one-third or more of their work. More than 70 percent believe AI will replace 30 percent of their work within the next two years, and they are eager for more AI training.
These studies are not as contradictory as they might seem. Like any technology, AI is a tool that can be used to make work better. Companies that implement AI responsibly will empower their employees and enhance overall employee satisfaction.
The key is to take incremental steps, starting with proven use cases that can deliver rapid results. In addition to automating routine, repetitive tasks, AI can be used to improve employee well-being and minimize those daily hassles that can accumulate into major headaches. Here are five ways that AI can create a smarter workplace and a better employee experience.
Simplifying search. Studies show that employees spend almost five hours each week simply looking for information. AI can search through massive amounts of data in seconds, eliminating that lost time. Smarter search can also minimize miscommunications, inaccuracies and duplicative work that occur when information cannot be found.
Enhancing Collaboration: Implementing AI -powered tools and practices that foster better communication and teamwork among employees, leading to more innovative solutions and a more cohesive work environment.
Coordinating meetings. Video conferences often end with attendees staring at their calendars trying to find time for a follow-up meeting. AI-powered tools can analyze the meeting notes, look at everyone’s calendars and determine when they should meet next. These tools can even reserve a meeting room based on preferences, past behavior, and available technology.
Personalizing training. Insufficient and irrelevant training is one of the biggest gripes many employees have. AI can recommend focused training modules based on the tasks an employee performs or the tools they use. Chatbots can even provide basic how-to’s or direct the employee to the right expert.
Collecting feedback. Generic surveys are not very good at gauging employee sentiment or identifying persistent problems. AI-powered tools can scan comments made in chat sessions and issues brought up in meetings to give managers insight into how their teams are doing. These tools can even alert managers to warning signs of potential performance problems or turnover.