Embracing AI for a competitive edge

2024 Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, AI at Work is Here, Now Comes the Hard PartIt represents a significant shift in how organizations must adapt to remain competitive. AI has moved beyond the horizon and into the everyday workflows of millions of people. With 75% of knowledge workers worldwide now using AI, it’s time for businesses to capture its potential. Empowering teams with AI-enabled PCs that boost productivity, spark creativity, and enhance security is the way forward.

AI: The New Standard in the Workplace

The rapid rise of AI in the workplace highlights its transformative power. While 79% of business leaders acknowledge that they need AI to stay competitive, 60% admit that their organizations do not have a clear roadmap for integrating AI. This gap between awareness and implementation presents both challenges and opportunities.

Organizations need to shift their perspective from viewing AI as a future enhancement to embracing it as a core component of strategy and operations. This transition is made easier with hardware that unleashes the full potential of AI. Designed with advanced productivity, processing, and data protection capabilities, AI-enabled Microsoft Surface devices are well-suited to the changing needs of enterprise environments. They deliver the intuitive experiences, forward-thinking technologies, and robust security required to effectively integrate AI.

Improve your productivity with AI-enabled PCs

The report highlights that AI users are already experiencing significant benefits, with 90% reporting time savings and 85% saying they can focus on important tasks. These benefits are even greater when AI is combined with hardware designed to optimize its potential. AI-enabled PCs like the Surface series integrate advanced AI capabilities directly into the core functionality of the device, providing a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Surface devices with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) deliver the performance needed to keep up with modern workflows, allowing users to unleash the power of AI in their everyday tasks. These PCs redefine productivity by enabling on-device AI processing to reduce latency and improve the speed and efficiency of tasks like live captioning, real-time translation, and video processing.

Driving Innovation with AI-Optimized Hardware

As businesses turn to AI to innovate, the right hardware is essential. In the next five years, 41% of business leaders expect to redesign processes around AI. Surface devices are built for this future, designed to scale and adapt as AI capabilities evolve.

Surface devices with NPUs allow for local development and execution of AI models, giving businesses the agility to build and run those models locally. This accelerates the value of AI and allows businesses to apply the technology in scenarios that require strict data control.

AI-based workplace security

78% of AI users bring their own tools to work. This is a strong indication that people see the value of AI. But it also raises an important question for businesses: Wouldn’t it be better for employees to have tools that they can supervise, manage, and secure? Surface devices provide compelling AI experiences, and employees will likely prefer a managed and secure experience over alternatives.

Surface devices integrate trusted Microsoft security from the supply chain, hardware, firmware, to the security and management ecosystem. With features like TPM 2.0, Microsoft Pluton technology, and Windows Hello, they provide strong protection against both physical and digital threats. These measures enable businesses to safely embrace AI, protecting and easily managing data across the organization.

Adopting AI to stay competitive

While AI is increasingly present in the workplace, there is still cultural hesitation about using AI. More than half of workers are concerned that using AI will make them look like they could be replaced, yet 66% of employers say they would not hire someone without AI skills. This paradox highlights the need for a cultural change within organizations, a change that can be signaled by investing in AI-enabled PCs.

Choosing an AI-optimized device like Surface sends a clear message: AI is not something to be feared, but embraced. By giving employees the tools they need to maximize the potential of AI, businesses redefine productivity and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Preparing for an AI-centric future

The 2024 Work Trend Index makes it clear that AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a current reality. To make the most of the opportunities AI presents, businesses need to provide their teams with the right tools. Surface devices deliver the processing power, security, and innovation they need to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. By adopting these devices, organizations can keep pace with technological advancements and move into a new era of productivity and innovation.

Want to learn more about how AI PC and endpoint selection can support your AI adoption plans? Download our eBook: Strengthen Business Resilience with AI PCs | Microsoft Surface

Read the 2024 Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report: AI at Work is Here, Now Comes the Hard Part