3 trends will shape the future of work, according to Microsoft’s CEO

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Emma Charlton, Senior Writer, Formative Content

• Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corp. shared his views on the future of work at Davos 2023.
• Productivity paranoia – where leaders question productivity while workers feel burned out, was a key theme.
• People-to-people connections and learning soft skills were also high on his list for the future of work.
• And he said artificial intelligence will be a co-pilot for workers of the future, aiding them in their tasks rather than replacing them completely.
• The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report analyses the outlook for technology adoption, jobs and skills and how these are likely to evolve.

How will your job change in the coming months and years?

It’s a question that’s front of mind for many, as we enter a new phase, with the continual development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. And, as we grapple with hybrid working.

Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corp. shared his views at Davos 2023 when he sat down for a conversation with the World Economic Forum’s Founder and Executive Chairman, Klaus Schwab. The Forum has long been engaged in the debate around the future of work and publishes its Future of Jobs report regularly.

As AI progresses and our behaviours change, the world of work will enter a state of constant evolution.

“We’re still learning because there has been real structural change,” Nadella said. “There are new patterns of work emerging.”

Three trends for the future of work

Here are three of the key points to emerge from the wide ranging discussion that covered tech, AI, cyber security and the metaverse, among other topics.

1. Productivity paranoia

Nadella outlined what he described as productivity paranoia.

“Every leader thinks that somehow they’re not being productive,” he said. “But everybody who’s working in the organization feels burned out.”

Output per hour worked – a key metric for productivity – is a high priority for many policy makers, including those in the UK, where productivity has been languishing for years.

According to Nadella, addressing this will require an interrogation of the data and making a plan to improve.

“There’s no question the outcomes matter,” he said. “We should focus on the outcomes and then rediscover perhaps new patterns of successful work.”

Can machines help bolster productivity? Image: World Economic Forum.

2. Artificial intelligence as a co-pilot

Machine learning developments mean complex cognitive tasks and creativity are on the road to being automated more readily – a key topic at the Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.

“One of the things we think a lot about is how to deploy this technology to empower human beings to do more,” Nadella said.

Software developers may use generative AI to write around 80% of their code now but that doesn’t mean that a human isn’t needed or that their creative input is redundant, he said.

“It just so happens that now he has 80% leverage in doing what he’s doing. He’s still the pilot but he does have a co-pilot.”

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How is the World Economic Forum ensuring the ethical development of artificial intelligence?

The World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning brings together global stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of transparent and inclusive AI, so the technology can be deployed in a safe, ethical and responsible way.

• The Forum created a toolkit for human resources to promote positive and ethical human-centred use of AI for organizations, workers and society.
• From robotic toys and social media to the classroom and home, AI is part of life. By developing AI standards for children, the Forum is creating actionable guidelines to educate, empower and protect children and youth.
• The Forum is bringing together over 100 companies, governments, civil society organizations and academic institutions in the Global AI Action Alliance to accelerate the adoption of responsible AI in the global public interest.
• The Forum’s Empowering AI Leadership: AI C-Suite Toolkit provides practical tools to help companies better understand the ethical and business impact of their AI investment. The Model AI Governance Framework features responsible practices of leading companies from different sectors that organizations can adopt in a similar manner.
• In partnership with the UK government, the Forum created a set of procurement recommendations designed to unlock public-sector adoption of responsible AI.
• The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda is promoting the adoption of new technologies in the country, driving innovation on data policy and AI – particularly in healthcare.

Contact us for more information on how to get involved.

3. People and soft skills make success

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What is the Forum doing about keeping workers well?

Keeping workers well. It is the united aim of a global community influencing how companies will keep employees safe. What is the role of COVID-19 testing? What is the value of contact tracing? How do organizations ensure health at work for all employees?

Members from a diverse range of industries – from healthcare to food, utilities, software and more – and from over 25 countries and 250 companies representing more than 1 million employees are involved in the COVID-19 Workplace Commons: Keeping Workers Well initiative. Launched in July 2020, the project is a partnership between the World Economic Forum and Arizona State University with support from The Rockefeller Foundation.

The COVID-19 Workplace Commons: Keeping Workers Well initiative leverages the Forum’s platforms, networks and global convening ability to collect, refine and share strategies and approaches for returning to the workplace safely as part of broader COVID-19 recovery strategies.

Companies can apply to share their learnings and participate in the initiative as a partner, by joining the Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare.

Learn more about the impact.

Everyone will have to learn new soft skills and take time to foster people-to-people connections, according to Nadella.

“Unless and until people feel fulfilled in their jobs, in terms of new skills that they’ve acquired, they’re not going to have loyalty to the organization,” he said. “That means really investing in their progress.”