E2’s predictions: How AI Will Change the Future of Work

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like a new team member at your organisation, ready to take on repetitive, time-consuming tasks and offer fresh, innovative solutions.

Enter Microsoft Copilot for 365, your AI-powered partner designed to collaborate with you, freeing up valuable time and enhancing productivity. With Copilot, users typically save around 1.2 hours per week, thanks to AI-driven features that streamline everyday tasks like summarising meetings, drafting emails, and creating documents, on average, making these tasks 29% faster.

At Engage Squared, we’ve spent the past year working alongside organisations to explore, deploy, and measure the impact of Copilot across Microsoft 365. The results have been remarkable. In healthcare, we’ve seen report writing times reduced by up to 50%. Recruitment professionals are seeing the benefits of automated chatbots in streamlining the hiring process, while Viva Engage has helped foster stronger connections and engagement across teams.

In just three organisations alone, Copilot has saved a combined 3,517 work hours, highlighting the power of automation and time-saving capabilities in transforming the way people work.

What does the future of work really look like with AI tools like Copilot? How will it shift roles, improve experiences, and unlock new opportunities across different industries? To find out, we went straight to the source, the people on our team who work with this technology day in, day out. From HR to Information Security, keep reading to discover their predictions and what they think is coming next!

Prediction 1: Rapid, just-in-time learning will become the norm for teams. 

• Copilot will change how we learn and grow by democratising our ability to use expert knowledge to get work done. Often, a lack of awareness, experience, or guidance can mean that staff are not able to achieve the best outcomes for their work. With Copilot, instant coaching will help bridge that gap.

• Staff that understand the power provided by Copilot will feel empowered to tackle problems they did not previously feel capable of tackling. 

• Organisations will shift from prioritising subject matter expertise to nurturing agility and adaption to new technology instead. This will flatten the skill hierarchy and allow a more general workforce to thrive. The key to being prepared for this future is to ensure everyone in each organisation has a growth mindset and is upskilled on how to use AI tools like Copilot. 

– Parul Sharma, Senior Change Consultant 

Prediction 2: Copilot will transform the look and feel of roles across various industries, extending its impact far beyond the tech sector. 

• As organisations further adopt AI, we will become more reliant on it for summarisation, data management, and finding information. 

• The amount of time we spend on activities that are innately human, such as decision making, communicating, and storytelling, will increase. 

• Whilst AI may sound human, it is not, therefore it cannot always convey emotion or contextual awareness successfully. This means not only will we spend longer on these tasks, those with innate human qualities or” soft skills” such as empathy, reasonableness and resilience will stand out and be increasingly valued. 

• Organisations that will outlast the competition moving forward are talking about these soft skill gaps and building a plan to upskill current talent to fit their needs, now. 

– Emma Green, Change Consultant 

Prediction 3: Embedded AI practices will make employers more desirable. 

• Embracing modern technology and moving forward, rather than staying stagnant, will show a commitment to innovation. 

• Companies that embrace AI will foster a culture of trust and empowerment, encouraging and rewarding upskilling and innovation. 

• By alleviating some of the workload, AI will contribute to fostering a more pleasant and positive work environment, with employees being in a better mood due to less stress. 

• A workplace that invests in AI processes and future-facing technology will be more attractive compared to one that does not. 

• This investment will positively impact retention rates and desirability in the talent market. 

– Georgie Yeandle, People Manager 

Prediction 4: Chat bots will be everywhere, making the workplace more accessible. 

• This is like the first PowerApps where it suddenly became quick and easy to create an app chat bots will experience an explosion of interest and will be everywhere. 

• This is because chat bots can now be created and directed to several data sources easily with Copilot studio using natural language, simple licensing and no coding skills. Imagine working with a chatbot that can talk to you (rather than type at you), can answer questions dynamically (rather than current rigid bots that can handle a very limited range of questions) creating a much nicer experience for both the user and creator. 

• This will ultimately make chat bots, and therefore our workplaces, more accessible to those who may benefit from additional support interpreting, reading or providing written content. 
• Katherine Collins, Business Applications Consultant 

Prediction 5: Security transformations are only benefiting people where organisations have moved beyond awareness, into action. 

• As AI becomes deeply integrated into corporate environments, the first wave of awareness about security implications is now behind us. Organisations are increasingly conscious that AI tools, like Copilot, can highlight vulnerabilities by surfacing improperly secured or organised information. However, recognising this challenge is only the first step. 

• The next critical phase for organisations is to move from insight to implementation. This involves not only a comprehensive review of current security practices but also a strategic shift towards enhancing these practices. Many organisations are at a crossroads, uncertain about the next steps—should they rely on manual processes, invest in semi-automated solutions, or adopt entirely new tools to ensure their data integrity and security? 

• The most forward-thinking organisations will not only strengthen their existing security frameworks but will also pioneer new ways to seamlessly integrate AI with security operations. This might involve adopting advanced data classification tools, automating compliance checks, or even rethinking access control mechanisms to align with AI’s capabilities. The goal is to create a dynamic, responsive security environment that not only protects but also empowers employees to collaborate more effectively, with the assurance that sensitive information is both accessible and secure. 

•  Interestingly, this proactive stance on security may open new avenues for collaboration within the organisation. By streamlining and securing workflows, employees can gain better visibility into critical information, fostering a culture of openness and innovation, where security is an enabler rather than a barrier. 

– Andrew Jolly, Principal Information Management Consultant