AI as a work colleague is becoming a reality faster than many think. A new report from Capgemini shows that the use of generative AI in the workplace has increased fivefold in the past two years – and the trend looks set to continue apace. In fact, 6 in 10 employees expect to have AI as an active team member, either as a support in the team or as a monitor of other AI systems, within the next 12 months.

This development marks one of the biggest changes in the labor market in decades and places new demands on strategy, leadership and organization.

Challenges when AI becomes a work colleague

While the possibilities of AI are growing, the report points to several challenges. Many are concerned about increased costs, a lack of regulations and uncertainty about how the technology should be implemented in a sustainable way way. Two-thirds of those surveyed also state that they will need to restructure their teams to facilitate collaboration between people and AI.

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AI on the rise in the Nordic countries and Sweden

Caroline Segerstéen Runervik, Nordic Head at Capgemini, emphasizes that both the development and implementation of generative AI has accelerated significantly even in the Swedish market.

– We see in the survey that 14 % of the companies have already implemented AI assistants partially or fully. Interestingly, half of the organizations that have implemented AI on a larger scale are now experimenting with system where multiple AI assistants collaborate to solve complex tasks. In In Sweden, for example, we see that public Authorities, such as the Swedish National Agency for Education, have already introduced AI into daily operational work, she says.

It shows that AI is no longer something that belongs to the future, but a reality that is changing work processes here and now.

Challenges and risks

The report also points to unexpected obstacles. Over half of organizations report unexpectedly high cloud costs, as their use of generative AI exceeded the initial calculations.

In addition, it appears that just under half of the organizations have clear rules for their AI system – and of these, almost half report that the guidelines are rarely followed. This underlines the need for stronger governance and accountability.

AI as a work colleague requires strategy

To have AI as a work colleague will soon become a daily routine for a majority of employees. But successful implementation requires more than technical capacity – it requires clear strategies, a well-thought-out AI architecture and long-term work to create a balance between humans and machines.