How AI Is Evolving Working Models: Stats And Tips From Global Experts
As remote and hybrid work trends shift, the advancement of artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace—but there are big pitfalls to avoid
- The stark differences in remote work adoption across the globe, from the US and UK to Asia, and the factors driving these disparities
- The transformative potential and challenges of AI in enhancing remote collaboration, productivity, and employee well-being
- Reimagining human capability in the age of AI and the critical role of business leaders in shaping the future of work
In late 2021—the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that spurred so many workplace trends and evolved societal norms—Crowe Global’s Art of Smart interviewed “remote work oracle” Darren Murph. The exclusive Q&A remains one of the most popular articles on the hub, which helps C-suite executives worldwide make smarter decisions.
At the time, many businesses were grappling with the best approach for remote or hybrid working—and one might argue that, three years later, still no one has perfected the solution.
Murph, then Head of Remote at global technology company GitLab—he has been Head of Technology Strategy Communications at Ford Motor Company since August 2023—offered valuable advice on the importance of a dedicated Head of Remote role, key skills for success and the benefits of asynchronous workflows and non-linear workdays.
Fast forward to 2024, and the world of work has continued to evolve at an unprecedented pace, shaped by the aftermath of the pandemic and the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI). To understand how these trends have developed and their impact on organizations and employees, Art of Smart turned to several thought leaders worldwide.
Their insights, along with recent research by Stanford University Professor Nicholas Bloom, paint a complex and nuanced picture of the current state of remote work and AI adoption across the globe.
Remote work—a tale of two worlds
However, the picture is quite different in Asia, where only Malaysia and Singapore offer more than one day a week of remote work on average, at 1.0 and 1.1 days, respectively. Elsewhere on the continent, Taiwanese and South Korean employees work from home 0.5 and 0.6 days a week, respectively, on average.
Pranpreya Sriwannawit Lundberg, Director of International Policy Partnership at Thailand’s Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), echoes this disparity. “At NXPO, remote work was pioneered before the pandemic, starting with optional remote work 1-2 days a week with approval required,” she says. “Only 10 percent of the staff—including me—were interested then.”
Lundberg’s organization shifted from 100 percent work-from-home during the pandemic to a 60 percent work-from-home, 40 percent in-person model. Despite this number, across Thailand, remote work is “generally much less prevalent.” She explains: “Most government offices have canceled work from home entirely, while some private sector companies still offer it partially to attract and retain talent.”
In contrast, Mustafa Iqbal, Partner, Technology Risk at Crowe UK, sees remote work as the “new normal” post-COVID. With a hybrid model in place, where workers are expected to go to the office three days a week, but it’s not enforced, the firm can “focus on broader workplace transformation and leverage technology for enhanced efficiency and innovation,” he says.
Information overload
David Jansson, Director of Growth at Copenhagen-based Jamscape—a company offering AI-driven video technology—agrees that “traditional communication platforms can be overwhelming,” especially for teams working remotely. “It’s like trying to drink from a fire hose,” says the Swede. “Leaders can spend up to three hours a day trying to sort out all the noise, and employees are interrupted every five minutes. There is so much ‘digital debt’ that is created daily.”
AI tools can help. Jamscape’s app, for instance, attempts to streamline communication by displaying which team members are available and facilitating immediate connections. “It also enables teams to work on specific topics, allowing them to label conversations and seamlessly connect or resolve related discussions,” says Jansson. This structured approach prevents information overload as teams grow, turning chaotic communication into effective collaboration.”
Two-tier workforce
Bloom noted that the majority of the first group were front-line employees, mostly non-graduates, and lower paid than the other two groups. This finding hints at the worrying development of a two-tier workforce. There is one level where workers can be flexible with time and location regarding work, and another that is more rigid and, therefore, less appealing—but this tier is critical to the smooth running of society, as it provides teaching healthcare, and other public services. Recruitment for the latter tier is already challenging in many countries, and with greater flexibility afforded in different industries, this will only intensify.
Further, Bloom argued that there are four key drivers for WFH with the top two—happiness and productivity—especially important, before space and talent. His research calculated that employees like hybrid working about as much as an 8 percent pay increase.
“Hybrid work, rather than 100 percent remote, is preferable and attractive to employees,” suggests Lundberg. “It allows flexibility but maintains some in-person interaction. Hybrid work options should be part of job offerings to attract talent. Also, business leaders should protect employee privacy by fostering a culture of respecting private time outside of business hours within the same country.”
As organizations navigate this new landscape, business leaders must contend with AI’s rapid advancement and potential to revolutionize work and collaboration.
AI challenges and opportunities
Iqbal and Lundberg recognize AI’s transformative potential in enhancing remote collaboration, productivity, and employee wellbeing. Crowe UK is “heavily investing” in Microsoft’s Copilot, for instance, and other collaboration tools to increase productivity, while Lundberg notes that AI can help with tasks such as speech writing and generating images for presentations.
She acknowledges, though, that current AI tools have limitations, particularly in non-English-speaking countries like Thailand. Lundberg points out that while AI can generate meeting summaries for collaboration, this feature still needs significant improvement for the Thai language, rendering tools like Copilot less effective.
Jamscape’s Jansson advises: “Build an AI workforce that fits into how your team already works. For example, remove repetitive tasks: automate prospecting and create dynamic engagement tunnels, use AI to scan the internet for the latest articles about #thefutureofwork and create scripts that can be used by the content team for their next viral content, or automate presentations and spot-on business cases that can be used by the sales department.”
As AI becomes more integral to remote and hybrid work, both Iqbal and Lundberg emphasize the importance of managing risks and challenges related to algorithmic bias, data privacy, and ethical use of employee information. Businesses must build robust data protection measures and stay ahead of potential security threats.
“Key risks and challenges include protecting employee data privacy and preventing cyber attacks as AI use increases,” Lundberg warns. “Organizations must work with private agencies on robust virus software and predicting employee data issues.”
Iqbal agrees with these concerns, adding that “organizations must be mindful of using employee data when feeding information into AI systems. Proper governance arrangements and guardrails are necessary to prevent the misuse of staff data.”
To navigate these challenges, Iqbal advises “business leaders to focus on understanding the AI development lifecycle and identifying potential pitfalls. Regulations should enable businesses to use AI responsibly while fostering innovation,” he says. “The broader community must know about the AI supply chain, including data consumption, algorithm development, and the assurance ecosystem. Professionals should ensure that the developed systems are fit for purpose and operating correctly. As AI evolves rapidly, staying informed and adaptable will be crucial for success.”
Meanwhile, Lundberg stresses the importance of providing AI training and upskilling opportunities, especially for older workers, to help employees adapt to the changing work landscape.
Reimagining human capability
As the world of work continues to evolve, Aneesh Raman, Vice President and Workforce Expert at LinkedIn, believes that AI is not just changing how we work but is redefining the very nature of work itself. He argues that business leaders must shift their mindset from fear of what will be left for humans in the age of AI to imagining what’s possible for humans when augmented by AI.
“In all our excitement about this new technology, humans seem to have become an afterthought,” San Francisco-based Raman observes. “Our role, the human role, in the age of AI seems to have become this great unknown. Because as the thinking goes, if AI keeps getting better and better at all the tasks that make up a job, what will be left for us to do? What will be left for humans to do?”
Raman, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama in the White House, stresses the importance of focusing on uniquely human skills such as empathy, communication, and critical thinking. These skills allow for collaboration and innovation in ways that technology can amplify but never replace. He urges organizations to adopt a skills-first view of the labor market and recognize that the skills required for jobs are changing rapidly, with many technical and data skills becoming vulnerable to advances in AI.
“Our data shows that the skills for the average job are going to change by 68% globally by the end of the decade,” Raman reveals. “That means your job is changing on you, even if you aren’t changing your jobs. And it is changing into an entirely new job.”
To prepare for this new era of work, Raman advises business leaders to prioritize three key areas:
- Recognizing the critical importance of their voice in shaping the future of work.
- Becoming educators to upskill their workforce and put people skills at the center of their company’s success.
- Building a strong talent brand to attract and retain top talent, especially among Gen Z.
Nine out of ten HR professionals globally say that their role has become more strategic in the last year,” Raman notes. “That’s because business planning, not just workforce planning, is becoming more human-centric than ever before."
In all our excitement about this new technology [AI], humans seem to have become an afterthought. Our role, the human role, in the age of AI seems to have become this great unknown. Because as the thinking goes, if AI keeps getting better and better at all the tasks that make up a job, what will be left for us to do? What will be left for humans to do?
Head of remote or head of AI?
The debate surrounding the necessity of a dedicated Head of Remote role, as argued by Murph in late 2021, remains ongoing. Lundberg disagrees with the notion. “Instead, responsibilities related to remote work, employee development, and technology adoption should fall under existing Human Resources and IT department roles,” she says. “HR should identify relevant training courses for employees to improve their skills. The IT department must stay ahead of the latest technology and security threats.
Alternatively, Iqbal sees the value in a dedicated Head of AI role. “Thanks to the acceleration of AI, organizations will require roles focused on various aspects of AI, such as engineering, ethics, development cycles, and compliance with regulations,” he says. “These roles may vary depending on the sector and the organization’s progress in AI adoption. Financial services, for example, could be more advanced due to their history of AI usage.”
Navigating the future of work
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to remote work and AI adoption. Business leaders must navigate the unique challenges and opportunities presented by their industry, region, and workforce, while staying attuned to the broader trends shaping the future of work.
By embracing a mindset of possibility, investing in human capabilities, and proactively managing the risks and challenges associated with AI and remote work, organizations can position themselves to thrive in this new era of work. As Raman eloquently puts it: “If we change how the world works, we will change the world. If we bring more humanity to work, we will bring more humanity to the world.”
The insights provided by Iqbal, Lundberg, Bloom, and Raman serve as a valuable roadmap for business leaders navigating the complexities of remote work and AI adoption in 2024 and beyond. By learning from their experiences, organizations can develop strategies prioritizing employee wellbeing, skills development, and ethical AI implementation while remaining agile in the face of constant change.
As the future of work continues to unfold, one thing remains clear: the human element is more critical than ever. By placing people at the center of their decision-making and leveraging technology to augment rather than replace human capabilities, business leaders can create a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient workforce ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the AI age.
Key takeaway questions
- What steps can you take to identify the barriers to operating efficiency within your organization, and which of the hybrid/remote working models are likely to have the most positive and pervasive impact?
- What strategies will you implement to prioritize employee wellbeing, skills development, and ethical AI implementation while remaining agile in the face of constant change?
- How will you foster a culture that protects employee privacy and well-being while optimizing remote work and leveraging AI?
- What steps will you take to upskill your workforce and put people skills at the center of your company’s success in the age of AI?
- How can you embrace a mindset of possibility and invest in human capabilities to create a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient workforce ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the AI age?
- Will you consider creating dedicated remote work or AI leadership roles to drive the necessary changes and ensure successful implementation within your organization?
