How AI Can Support a Hybrid and Deskless Workforce

There’s no denying the transformative impact artificial intelligence (AI) has had on businesses.

A recent study by Gallup has revealed that nearly half (45%) of employees believe that their productivity and efficiency in the workplace has improved as a result of AI. It’s therefore no wonder that 72% of organisations have adopted AI for at least one function, according to Forbes.

One crucial area where AI is playing a pivotal role is in facilitating remote and hybrid work. In fact, beyond ChatGPT and generative AI, this technology is helping to usher in an entirely new kind of workforce.

AI and the emergence of digital talent

AI is empowering the modern workforce to perform their roles with greater efficiency, to the point where many now rely on it. Here are just a handful of ways hybrid and remote workers are leveraging this technology:

Productivity tools

Task management tools that utilise AI help flexible workers prioritise their to-do list, track progress and schedule their duties, saving them (and their managers) valuable time in organising and managing their workload.

Automation

AI’s ability to automate manual and repetitive tasks like data entry is one of its most often-cited benefits. Thanks to robotic process automation (RPA), this is becoming a reality, giving employees time to focus on creative and higher-value tasks.

Communication and connectivity

Another way AI is empowering hybrid workers is through facilitating greater connectivity with their colleagues. These tools can automatically suggest meeting times with intelligent scheduling, transcribe meetings and even deliver real-time translation.

Data analysis

AI is also taking on one of the most labour-intensive and error-prone tasks in any organisation – sifting through large quantities of data. According to a survey by Statista of over 4,500 businesses across the US and UK, 30% used AI for data analysis tasks in 2023, and this is only likely to increase in the years to come.

Document management

Along with data, AI can take over the management of documents by analysing, tagging and categorising large swathes of information. It can also enforce access and compliance measures to ensure these files are secure.

Customer support

Thanks to AI-driven chatbots, customer-facing teams can deliver the rapid response times modern consumers have come to expect. In fact, as this technology continues to evolve, chatbots are able to deliver experiences that almost feel human.

To many experts, these innovations mark the emergence of ‘digital talent’ – a new age where human experience is complemented by robot skills.

Of bots and bosses: The changing power dynamics in the workplace

The impact AI is having on the way we work is far from potential – it’s already happening before our eyes. Yet its influence isn’t just being felt on the frontlines among deskless workers.

One emerging trend in the adoption of AI is the rise of virtual assistants – digital tools that can aid human workers with various activities.

More intriguing however is the potential rise of what has been called the ‘boss bot’. Many experts anticipate that AI will be used to handle the allocation of work, filing reports to senior leaders and effectively making middle management redundant.

So, what does this mean for remote and hybrid workers? With AI-powered virtual assistants already on the rise, further incorporating this technology into workforce management presents more opportunities to streamline manual processes, enhance productivity, and improve efficiency.

Gartner predicts that, by 2026, half of middle management roles will be replaced by AI in 20% of companies. What’s more, 42% of employees in the UK are open to working for an AI boss.

How Virgin Media O₂ Business and Samsung can help

Powered by advanced artificial intelligence, Samsung’s range of Galaxy devices are designed to enhance your workforce with smart tools that streamline tasks and improve collaboration.

With Galaxy AI, your teams can automatically transcribe, format, and categorise meeting notes. These documents can be accessed from anywhere at any time, for seamless collaboration.

Real-time speech translation in dozens of languages further supports global connectivity, while AI-powered smart search features allow users to quickly find and access relevant information, boosting efficiency and streamlining workflows.

These capabilities are all supported by seamless connectivity from Virgin Media O₂ Business. With 70% of workers using mobiles devices for work purposes, equipping your teams with Galaxy AI-compatible devices, backed by a reliable network, will help ensure productivity and efficiency in any working environment.

As a result, both you and your employees can realise the full benefits of both AI and flexible working.