June 2024 retrospective · Added November 13, 2026.
Microsoft and LinkedIn’s May 2024 Work Trend Index reported that 75% of knowledge workers in its research were using AI at work. The research combined a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries with other data. It was a signal of workplace change, not a measurement of every business or a prediction of any individual company’s results.
The management gap
Employees can begin using AI faster than an organization can develop a formal program. That creates an awkward situation: useful experimentation may be happening, but leadership may not know which tools receive company information or how generated work is checked.
Our view is that a practical adoption plan should make responsible use easier. A blanket instruction to “be careful” leaves employees guessing. A short approved-tool list, clear examples, and a place to ask questions are more useful.
Three decisions to make first
Tools: Decide which business accounts and applications are approved, and who manages them.
Information: Define what can be entered, uploaded, or connected. Treat customer records and confidential business material deliberately.
Review: Assign responsibility for checking facts, calculations, and customer-facing output.
Measure a workflow, not enthusiasm
Choose a narrow task such as drafting internal documentation or organizing meeting notes. Compare the time required, the number of corrections, and the usefulness of the result. Ask employees what failed as well as what worked.
A successful pilot should leave the business with a repeatable process and a clear owner. Buying more licenses without changing the workflow is not the same as achieving a business result.
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Source: Microsoft and LinkedIn’s 2024 Work Trend Index announcement.
