AI’s workplace potential is being hindered by outdated tools and employee concerns, a Lenovo report finds. While 79% of IT leaders see Gen AI as boosting productivity, only 36% say it effectively supports engagement.
With 42% of employees fearing it will reduce their contributions and 89% of IT leaders calling for a digital workplace overhaul, businesses must go beyond automation to fully unlock AI’s benefits.
Digital workplace tools are failing to support productivity
When the researchers surveyed 600 IT leaders worldwide for this Lenovo report, they found that while 79% of respondents believe Gen AI will let employees focus on more impactful work by automating operational processes, less than half said their current digital workplace tools support productivity, engagement, and innovation effectively.
The main barrier may be the emergence of large language models (LLMs), which have rapidly accelerated the pace and sophistication of automation. The emergence of Gen AI as a key component of the digital workplace has also introduced new challenges, the report states.
Businesses struggle to unlock Gen AI’s full potential
Despite Gen AI’s vast opportunities — including enhanced collaboration, creativity, innovation, engagement, and productivity — business leaders struggle to implement it effectively and achieve meaningful productivity gains.
Only 36% believe their AI systems support employee engagement “very effectively,” while a staggering 89% say organizations must first overhaul their digital workplace to unlock Gen AI’s full potential.
Another significant challenge is employees’ concerns over privacy, security, and ethics with 35% citing these major barriers to adoption.
“That’s why digital workplace transformation is needed,’’ said Linda Yao, vice president of AI Solutions & Services Group, in the report. “It’s about understanding how people stay productive, what their preferences are, and rolling it out to everybody.”
Despite hurdles, IT leaders remain motivated — nearly half (49%) say creating a more productive and engaging employee experience is their top priority for the coming year.
Delivering transformative productivity requires reinvention
To fully realize Gen AI’s potential, organizations must do more than simply automate existing processes; the report outlines three strategies to improve the digital workplace:
- Unlock productivity and engagement: Tailor the employee experience to each user’s role, requirements, and working style using persona-based configuration. A Gen AI-powered IT support experience will minimize disruptions to their workflow.
- Simplify the personalization process with Gen AI: Create personas, then configure devices, software, and IT support levels to them. Gen AI automation can be used to ensure disruptions are predicted, detected, or resolved as soon as possible.
- Reinvent to leverage people’s capabilities: Determine how Gen AI can enhance and augment an organization’s value creation objectives and competitive differentiation. Anticipate and manage the change the technology brings, ensuring employees have the skills and motivation they need to adapt.
The report underscores that in order to achieve AI-driven productivity gains businesses must rethink their approach, modernize their digital tools, and actively address employee concerns.
