The accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way in which employees organize, execute and think about their work, and companies are facing a turning point: it is no longer enough to be more efficient, they must now rethink the work to be done and how to distribute it among intelligent people and systems, taking into account the role of each employee within the organization.
These are some of the conclusions that SAP has released in its new study The Road Ahead: Predictions and Possibilities for the Future of Work, prepared by the company based on the analysis of 357 specialized sources and a survey carried out among 8,058 professionals, where the vision of each employee surveyed is key to understanding the future of work from the employee’s perspective.
The next frontier: moving from efficiency to work redesign
According to the report, the employee already saves an average of 75 minutes a day when using AI, which is 23 minutes more than at the beginning of 2025. However, the majority highlights that this extra time is dedicated to “doing more”, and not to new or higher-value tasks, which shows a still limited adoption for the average employee. Until now, the main perceived benefit has been greater efficiency, but the study warns that the true impact will come when organizations go from “doing more” to “doing differently”, directly benefiting the employee.
On the other hand, almost half of professionals estimate that 42% of their current tasks could be performed with AI, a forecast that increases the employee’s feeling of job insecurity: for every additional 10% of their work that they believe could be taken over by technology, the perception of job insecurity increases by 25%.
In line with this, the report proposes two possible alternatives for companies when incorporating AI. The first would choose to automate everything possible and leave only the remaining tasks to people. In this model, the employee only assumes what the technology does not cover, an approach that can increase productivity in the short term but carries risks of demotivation and loss of confidence for the employee.
The second, identified as the most transformative, consists of redesigning roles that allow combining human and AI potential. 80% of professionals believe that AI will allow each employee to focus on more valuable tasks, and one of the most anticipated changes is being able to participate in projects that are more stimulating for the employee.
From “digital companion” to “impartial collaborator”
According to the study, 40% of professionals turn to AI for emotional support, a trend that reflects new employee expectations regarding technology. More than half say they feel more supported by these tools than by their colleagues, although the report warns of the risks this can pose for the employee if the boundaries between person and system are blurred.
AI as an amplifier of thought
Another sign that employees perceive AI as an intellectual ally is that half say they would prefer to devise solutions with an AI rather than with a colleague. However, the report warns of the risk of accepting without questioning the responses generated by the system. In fact, 90% acknowledge having delivered content created entirely by AI without modifications, a practice that can limit the employee’s critical thinking.
40% of professionals turn to AI for emotional support, a trend that reflects respect for technology
The ideal would be to have systems designed to stimulate human reasoning. In this sense, 67% affirm that AI helps the employee to be more creative and explore innovative approaches.
