Fortune is said to favour the bold, and companies moving to increase artificial intelligence (AI) deployment and high-value work say they are thriving and optimistic about the future.
Ninety-five per cent of companies powered by AI are already considering hiring for AI-specific roles to stay ahead of the curve, but many leaders risk falling through the capacity gap as growth ambitions fall further adrift in a sea of busywork and interruptions, a new Microsoft work trends report said.
Eight-two per cent of leaders at those AI-powered companies say it’s “a pivotal year to rethink key aspects of strategy and operations”, and 81% expect AI agents, or software systems, to be moderately or extensively integrated into their company’s AI strategy in the next 12 to 18 months. Also nearly one-fourth (24%) of those companies have deployed AI organisation-wide.
However, the gap between the demands of business and workforce capacity is a significant transformation hurdle for some companies. Globally, 80% of leaders and employees said they don’t have enough time or energy to do their work, and 53% of leaders reported insufficient workforce productivity.
The space for employees to commit to high-value work is narrow, the report added, and workforce productivity is challenged by daily interruptions:
Employees working traditional schedules are interrupted by digital communications every two minutes, and 60% of meetings are called at the last minute, the report said. Insufficient automation across processes also makes managing interruptions difficult: PowerPoint edits increased by 122% in the final ten minutes before the start of a meeting compared with three hours before.
Breaking down silos
For companies leading in AI, closing the capacity gap starts with breaking down silos by deploying human-led, AI-operated teams, the report said. That model uses AI to enhance productivity and innovation while humans provide robust guidance and oversight.
“Until now, companies have been built around domain expertise siloed in functions like finance, marketing, and engineering,” the report said. “But with expertise on demand, the traditional org chart may be replaced by … a dynamic, outcome-driven model where teams form around goals, not functions.”
Leading companies are preparing to take bold leaps to stay competitive, with more workers using AI systems across marketing (73% vs. 55% globally), data science (72% vs. 54%), internal communications (68% vs. 46%), and customer success (66% vs. 44%) functions. At lower-performing competitors, leaders (52%) and employees (48%) in human-led companies feel burdened by the chaotic and fragmented nature of their work.
Optimism precedes skill development
The importance of digital transformation is top of mind for leaders across the globe, and 82% are confident they’ll have the means to expand workforce capacity in the next 12 to 18 months.
This optimism in leaders is rooted in their familiarity with Al; two-thirds are familiar or extremely familiar with AI. They expect their teams to be able to redesign business processes with AI (38%), build systems to automate complex tasks (42%), and train (41%) and manage (36%) AI agents within five years.
But, despite optimism amongst leadership, only 40% of employees are currently familiar with AI, the report said. While 47% of leaders plan to prioritise AI upskilling to achieve growth aspirations, day-to-day busywork continues to keep employees from high-value work.
“The time for pilots alone has passed. Real change requires broad adoption and activation at every level of the organisation — from senior leaders in every function to the front line,” the report said. “This shift isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about building a workforce that blends human creativity with AI’s unique strengths.”
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
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Articles
“Experience Gap: When Digital Transformation Outpaces Training”, FM magazine, 5 May 2025
“How Accountants Can Balance Technology and Critical Thinking”, Journal of Accountancy, 1 April 2025
“Employees to Leaders: More Training Needed in AI”, FM magazine, 24 February 2025
“Approaches to Artificial Intelligence: Leaders Look for Answers”, FM magazine, 6 November 2024
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“The ‘Robot Uprising’ and You: A CPA Leader’s View on Harnessing AI”, Journal of Accountancy, 15 May 2025
“AI’s Future: Figuring Out What It Means for Finance Teams”, FM magazine, 22 January 2025