Mind or machine?

From creating new categories of skill sets to reshaping how work is structured, AI will enter a new phase of adoption at the workplace this year

- SUGANDHA MUKHERJEE

WORKPLACES HAVE CHANGED many times before, but the shift happening now feels sharper.

Computers replaced typewriters. Email sped up communication. Mobile phones and messaging apps reshaped how teams stay connected. But this time, it is different. The speed and depth of change is becoming visible across industries and continents.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to displace 92 million jobs. The report, which surveyed 1,000 global companies, states that 86% of employers expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their businesses by 2030.

At Microsoft, this shift is visible across its core products. Copilot tools now draft emails, rewrite documents, summarise meetings and extract action points inside Word, Outlook, Excel and Teams. GitHub Copilot Workspace plans entire coding sequences across repositories, suggesting what should be built next rather than waiting for instructions.

In India, where large parts of the global technology workforce are based, that shift is being matched by investment at scale. Rajiv Kumar, president and MD of the Microsoft India Development Center, says the country is reaching a turning point in how Al is embedded into daily work.

“India is entering a pivotal moment in its Al journey, defined by how deeply intelligence is being embedded into everyday work and public life,’ he tells FE. “Al is moving beyond experimentation to become a foundational capability in workplaces, helping organisations reimagine productivity, decision making, and how people build new skills for the future.”