Human-AI collaboration: A game changer for evolving work landscape in Sri Lanka

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the focal point of discussions over the past few months, captivating the attention of various industries and individuals alike. As business leaders navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of work, they are now challenged with the responsibility of fostering a smooth transition into the AI-powered workplace.
To grasp the implications of the new AI-driven era on the future of work, Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index: Annual Report conducted a survey of 31,000 individuals across 31 countries and analysed trillions of aggregated productivity signals in Microsoft 365 along with labour market trends from the LinkedIn Economic Graph.
The research shows that the pace of work has accelerated faster than humans can keep up and it is impacting productivity and innovation. Recognising that AI has immense transformative potential to lift the weight of work, Microsoft has explored resources and best practices to help organisations embrace AI to break this cycle and unleash a new era of productivity and innovation.
With Sri Lanka grappling the loss of human capital as it recovers from an economic crisis, it is imperative for local organisations and leaders to embrace and coexist with AI to unleash creativity and unlock productivity, speeding up the journey to economic recovery.Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index identifies three key tendencies in Human–AI collaboration.
Harnessing the Power of AI to Overcome Digital Debt
The rise of digital communication tools has led to a phenomenon called ‘digital debt’, where employees spend excessive time on communication. In Asia-Pacific, a significant portion of work hours, 57% on average, was dedicated to communication and a staggering 74% of individuals expressed that they lack sufficient uninterrupted focus time during the workday, consequently impacting their creativity.
Leaders need to identify and address their organisation’s productivity disruptors with insights from employee listening and leverage AI as a way to radically rethink the workday. For example, with employees reporting ‘inefficient meetings’ as their number one productivity disruptor, leaders can explore the utilisation of solutions such asbMicrosoft 365 Copilot and benefit from AI-powered intelligent meeting recaps, transcripts, and recordings to engage with meetingshow and when it works best for them.
Embracing the New AI-Employee Alliance
Despite the anxiety that recent advancements in AI have sparked in employees in Asia-Pacific, 78% would delegate as much work as possible to AI in order to lessen their workloads.
While employees may not feel reassured by their employers regarding job security, it is interesting to note that business leaders are twice as likely to value AI’s ability to increase employee productivity rather than cutting headcount.
CBSL records indicate that approximately 147,000 left the country for foreign employment during the first half of 2023. With the heightened brain drain in Sri Lanka, an AI-employee alliance could be the reassurance needed for people to feel secure in their jobs. Leaders need to proactively support employees through training and education so that they can experiment safely and work responsibly alongside AI and pave the way for accelerated career growth.
The AI-employee alliance further gives leaders an opportunity to deploy AI where people need the most relief, based on their organisation’s pain points and challenges.
Building AI Aptitude with a New Mindset and Skills
The future of work embraces AI as a ‘co-pilot’, encouraging employees to adapt new skills to thrive in an AI-powered ecosystem. Every employee, not just AI experts, now has the ability to leverage AI to build a second brain, and organisations that embrace this new way of working will create a brighter, more fulfilling future of work for everyone.
Human-AI collaboration will be the next transformational work pattern, as data from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index 2023 points out that 85% of leaders in the Asia Pacific anticipate employees will need new skills in the AI era. Flexibility, emotional intelligence, analytical judgement, creative evaluation, intellectual curiosity, bias detection and handling, and AI delegation such as prompting were named as the top skills that leaders believe will be essential for employees in an AI-powered future.
AI and AI-driven tools have the potential to empower the workforce in Sri Lanka by equipping employees with the essential skills to create, deploy, and sustain AI solutions. Employers are now on the lookout for employees building AI aptitude, which also acts as a catalyst for attracting investments that are driven by AI advancements to the country.
Through the quick adoption of AI technologies, Sri Lanka can free people from digital debt and fuel innovation to drive faster economic recovery. The responsible integration of AI across sectors, coupled with an AI-skilled workforce and supportive policies, can position Sri Lanka as a competitive player in the global digital economy and pave the way for sustained growth and development.

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