Gen AI at work: Shaping the future of organizations

The report is based on the analysis of a survey of 1,500 leaders and managers and 1,000 employees (entry-level individual contributors) at organizations with annual revenue above $1 billion in 15 countries and across various industries.

Employees in the survey predicted that Gen AI will facilitate a third of entry-level tasks over the next 12 months, making these roles more autonomous and progressively shifting them from creation to review. Half of the leaders and managers surveyed noted that this change will accelerate career progress for entry-level workers.

Leaders and managers expect Gen AI to save them up to seven hours weekly, allowing them to focus on strategic decision-making and tasks requiring emotional intelligence. Managers will play a crucial role in easing workforce fears about new technologies and will be key in integrating Gen AI into workflows. Over half of the leaders (54%) believe managerial roles will become more significant as they guide Gen AI-driven changes, ensuring accountability and adapting practices to a human-centered approach.

Leadership aims to design the future organization, redefine roles, and reimagine work methods; 70% of leaders and managers we surveyed expect to focus on creating frameworks for the responsible and ethical use of Gen AI systems.

Generative AI also has the potential to reshape organizational structures. Only 18% of leaders and managers we surveyed believe it will reduce middle management, but 51% think that within three years, managerial roles could shift from generalists to specialists. This shift will require organizations to adopt flatter, more agile, and collaborative structures to maintain strategic flexibility.

Generative AI has the potential to assist leaders and managers in complex managerial tasks, acting as a “thought partner”. A majority (65%) believe Gen AI can serve as a co-thinker in strategic planning, risk evaluation, and decision-making.

Despite these benefits, challenges remain.

Only 15% of leaders and managers and 20% of employees use Gen AI tools daily. The obstacles hindering the widespread adoption of Gen AI include concerns about accuracy, security, lack of clear usage guidelines, integration complexity, and skill deficits.

To build a Gen AI-augmented workforce, organizations should reevaluate roles and career pathways, redesign structures for human-AI collaboration, provide technology within governed frameworks, integrate it within business applications, and cultivate necessary technical and soft skills. Creating a culture of continuous learning and experimentation is essential. Gen AI thrives best within a broader hybrid AI ecosystem, combining traditional AI, automation, and other technologies to deliver tailored intelligence and efficiency for specific business challenges. This hybrid AI approach can unlock unparalleled intelligence and efficiency tailored to specific business challenges.

Download Gen AI at work: Shaping the future of organizations to learn more about how generative AI can be used to transform roles and responsibilities.