Microsoft Survey: professionals approve AI, automation in their work tools

Microsoft is heavily investing in artificial intelligence now, and it is not a secret, given its multi-billion investment in ChatGPT-creator OpenAI. And to dig deeper into the importance of AI tech in the lives of professionals, the software giant recently conducted a survey, which shows 85% of workers want collaboration tools integrated with more automation capabilities.

The survey was conducted on 2,700 employees and 1,800 business decision makers (BDMs) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. The survey highlights respondents’ views regarding digital transformation, wherein 87% of employees said the need for it “is more important now than ever before.”

According to the results, 89% of participants with access to automation and AI-powered tools “feel more fulfilled because they can spend time on work that truly matters.” In relation to that, 89% or 9 in 10 individuals said they wish they could apply AI solutions to even more tasks and activities.

Specifically, 9 in 10 or 85% of the respondents said they would want more automation capabilities in their collaboration tools, as 77% or 3 out of 4 respondents expressed their desire for low-code or no-code tools or platforms. As mentioned by Microsoft, the latter figure reflects the result of its 2022 Low-Code Trend Report, wherein 80% of respondents said low-code tools allowed them to be self-sufficient in addressing tasks instead of relying on developers.

“The survey findings are clear: people want digital productivity tools that allow them to cut out the busywork so they can focus on the real tasks at hand,” Microsoft concluded. “They also want a say in how these tools are selected and implemented. Perhaps most of all, they want tools that are intuitive and easy to use, and that allow them to collaborate seamlessly and work efficiently—wherever ‘work’ happens to be.”

The survey was released as the Redmond company continues to invest in AI technology. Last week, Microsoft confirmed the third phase of its “multiyear, multibillion dollar investment” in OpenAI,” which should allow it to further benefit from the power of artificial intelligence to improve its products and services. Earlier this month, reports about the company’s plan to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech into Bing and Office apps emerged. This was confirmed later, with the company revealing that it is also introducing the chatbot to its Azure OpenAI Service.