Multiple studies have shown how business leaders struggle to find value with artificial intelligence, but a new study offers an alternative perspective: the workers. Research from Atlassian’s Teamwork Lab reveals that employees who elect to use AI not as a tool but as an expert advisor are finding the most success. It outlines five distinct stages that knowledge workers progress through on their journey to realizing AI can be a strategic collaborator.
“When it comes to getting the most out of working with AI, mindset matters far more than adoption – and is key to maturity,” Molly Sands, Atlassian’s Head of Teamwork Lab, explains. She highlights that while other industry research focuses on AI adoption rates, Atlassian chose to look at how people work with the technology.
How Do Workers Think About AI?
In its inaugural AI Collaboration Index, 5,000 knowledge workers from Australia, the U.S., India, France, and Germany were polled about their attitudes towards AI—is it changing how work gets done? Based on the results, Atlassian identified five mindset stages that exist in the workplace.
The first level (Stage 0) comprises workers who have not been exposed to the technology and consider it “useless.” The following two levels (Stages 1 and 2) are “simple AI users,” consisting of workers who view AI as a tool or a personal assistant they can use to tackle a specific task or make the hard parts of a job easier. The final two levels (Stages 3 and 4) are “strategic AI collaborators,” made up of workers who see AI as a creative partner or an entire team armed with specialized skills.
Many respondents identified as “simple AI users,” treating AI more like a personal assistant. It’s not surprising with the accelerated introduction of AI over the past couple of years. However, the percentage could sway more towards “strategic AI collaborators” over the next year as tech companies continue to innovate and companies identify more use cases.
What’s the difference between a “simple AI user” and a “strategic AI collaborator”? The former is the equivalent of asking AI to revise an email to make it more concise and effective or to query information within your company’s knowledge library. The latter involves an AI agent curating relevant customer data and surface insights to inform a strategy.
Strategic AI Collaborators Have Higher ROI
Atlassian’s research shows that companies with human-AI collaboration have better returns on investment, with work completed faster and cheaper. It’s estimated that for those in Stage 4, AI saves workers 105 minutes per day compared to 53 minutes for Stage 1.
AI vendors often boast that their software will automate mundane tasks, freeing workers to pursue more creative endeavors. According to Atlassian, “strategic AI collaborators” are doing just that, reinvesting the 105 reclaimed daily minutes in learning new skills and generating new ideas. “Our data show that those in Stage 4 are most likely to say ‘AI has the biggest impact on my motivation or excitement about work,’” Sands writes. “These collaborators are energized by the innovation and possibilities of AI, and continue to discover new ways it can help them become more creative and productive.”
Regarding the quality of work generated, it should also come as no surprise that “strategic AI collaborators” indicate working with AI has paid off. Atlassian’s data shows that “simple AI users” will only compile data from various sources and nothing more. However, “strategic AI collaborators” will press forward and prompt models and agents to “build hypotheses, ask questions, analyze findings, and pull insights.” Furthermore, they’ll solicit AI to evaluate multiple decisions, outlining potential unintended consequences, produce relevant case studies, and more.
“Our research shows ‘strategic AI collaborators’ are 1.8x more likely than ‘simple AI users’ to be seen as innovative teammates,” Sands says. “Their AI experimentation not only enhances their own work but inspires team-wide creativity and problem-solving.”
AI Collaboration Must Have Leadership Support
Even if company workers achieve this harmonious relationship with AI, it won’t be solely because of their efforts. It’ll be because of the support of business leaders. Studies show knowledge workers are reluctant to embrace AI-powered tools because they lack encouragement from their managers. Atlassian’s AI Collaboration Index reinforces that finding.
“In an environment of fear and anxiety around AI, workers will use it minimally and may hesitate to spend the time to learn more innovative methods of collaboration,” Sands remarks. “Think, ‘If I use it, I’m cheating…so I’ll keep it basic’ or ‘If I take time away to figure out how to use AI, I’ll get behind on my work. So I’ll just keep working like I always have.’”
On the other hand, if management embraces AI and encourages employees to experiment with the technology, there’s a greater chance of achieving “strategic AI collaboration.”
Atlassian urges companies to publicize their support, inviting executives to share their AI usage journey with their teams. Everyone should be asked to infuse AI into their daily work and to host learning sessions where people can share different use cases so team members can hear multiple perspectives.
Sands predicts that by creating “strategic AI collaborators,” companies will see a decrease in worker burnout as AI lessens the workload and promotes creativity. In addition, by next year, her team predicts that “individuals with strong people management skills will get 75 percent more value from AI agents—even if they aren’t in leadership roles.” Atlassian sees the skills that make great people leaders as synonymous with those needed to effectively use AI as a creative partner or advisor.
Featured Image: AI-generated image of human workers in a modern office interacting with AI holograms. Image credit: Mistral
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