This Week in IT, a new report says UK government employees only saved 26 minutes a day with Copilot, AI could mean you get a pay rise while others lose their jobs, and organizations are looking to repatriate certain cloud workloads.
This episode focuses on AI’s impact on productivity and employment, particularly regarding Microsoft 365 Copilot.
UK Government Workers’ Time Savings: A survey revealed that UK government employees saved an average of 26 minutes daily using Microsoft 365 Copilot, leading to potential annual savings of about 13 days per employee. However, the $30 monthly subscription fee raises questions about its cost-effectiveness.
Copilot’s Features and Limitations: While Copilot offers useful functionalities like email drafting and document summarization, many features discussed at Microsoft’s Build conference have yet to be implemented, leading to concerns about its current effectiveness and value.
AI’s Impact on Job Market: A PwC study indicates that while AI has increased wages and productivity in software engineering, job postings in less affected industries have grown more rapidly, suggesting potential job losses in tech sectors.
Need for AI Skills: Despite risks of job displacement due to AI, possessing AI skills can enhance job security and earning potential for software engineers.
Cloud Workloads Repatriation Trends: A survey by Node4 shows that 97% of mid-market organizations are considering moving certain cloud workloads back to private data centers, citing performance and compliance issues as key reasons.