Source: Fortune
Summary
McKinsey Global Institute estimates that 57% of U.S. work hours could be automated with existing technology in the next five years. However, a recent survey found that while AI saved an average of 5.7 hours per employee per week, only 1.7 of those hours were redirected to work that improved business outcomes. To realize the full potential of AI, companies need to reconfigure their organizations around AI, rethink design practices, and operating models.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. McKinsey’s Erik Roth highlights the challenge of scaling up AI to create value from the “AI time dividend.” While AI can automate routine tasks, companies struggle to redirect saved time to strategic projects. Employees lack incentives to use AI, and executives must decide where to pursue “Level 2” transformation, which requires reconfiguring organizations around AI.
Roth outlines five steps to get started: develop a blueprint for the future, clarify AI’s role, set clear expectations, make time valuable, and think outcomes, not hours. CEOs and managers must direct time toward company goals, identify high-potential change agents, and create mechanisms to productively redeploy freed-up hours.
The AI time dividend is not a guarantee, and companies must be intentional about how they use saved time to drive growth and productivity.
Author: Evan Null
