In the last few years, GenAI has swiftly evolved from experimental technology into a competitive business tool. Now, AI is becoming a coworker.
The emergence of GenAI prompted an era of AI democratization as publicly available tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT sparked mainstream enthusiasm. Many organizations approached this initial phase cautiously given complex compliance concerns and confusion over where to start and how to create value for the business.
However, hesitation has transformed as productivity and positive user sentiment has soared. Leading organizations are accelerating adoption as they pivot to integrate AI into operations and workflows, backed by robust governance, dedicated AI strategies, and comprehensive training programs.
This shift alters how employees perceive their roles and how organizations think about productivity, talent and skill development, and competitive growth. As AI evolves into a trusted component of business operations alongside the rise of AI agents and embedded solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot, CIOs must address the cultural and ethical implications of implementing AI as a core mechanism of business success.
The Relationship Between Employees & AI is Changing
Initial enterprise GenAI adoption was often fragmented, marked by prolific shadow AI as unauthorized employee use of conversational tools such as ChatGPT led to widespread concerns over data and IP leakage.
Though people recognized the efficacy of AI for analysis, task automation, brainstorming, and drafting, many hesitated over concerns of data exposure, compliance breaches, or possible career repercussions by being irresponsible in the accelerated use of AI or alternatively by being perceived as a laggard for not moving quickly enough. Leading organizations countered fear culture by reframing AI as an empowering tool through literacy programs, training initiatives, AI champion communities, learning to develop clear guardrails, and vetting tools.
For EY, this evolution meant preparing a 400,000-person workforce to collaborate with AI effectively. “Many employees initially experience AI as a digital assistant that enhances productivity,” says Edwina Fitzmaurice, EY Global Innovation Market Activation Leader. “The analogy of GenAI as a capable intern is becoming increasingly common, but these AI assistants still depend on human judgment and supervision for accuracy, context, and responsible decision-making.”
EY achieved a strategic milestone with early adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot. As a knowledge organization dependent on tools like Excel, Outlook, and Teams, EY recognized the opportunity to minimize friction in daily tasks while fostering a more fulfilling work experience. EY is rolling out M365 Copilot to 150,000 EY professionals globally, about one-third of its workforce, after piloting a robust value measurement and risk framework. Value was measured across three dimensions, including human sentiment, productivity, and quality, to determine how M365 Copilot could benefit the business and EY people.
“Copilot helps EY teams organize their day, prioritize activities, prepare for meetings, and get a headstart on new projects,” says Fitzmaurice. “It changes how people start and finish their workdays, enabling stronger focus and reducing the typical stress and effort involved in completing work.”
Evolution of AI Agents and Integrated Assistants
GenAI opened a pathway for autonomous agents that actively perform tasks instead of just supporting it. AI agents can execute specific workflows with minimal human intervention, such as brand compliance evaluations or customer service interactions, to substantially improve efficiency, consistency, and personalization.
The deployment of M365 Copilot at EY exemplifies this; employees can use AI agents to readily leverage accurate, real-time, data-driven insights for applications like generating high-quality client proposals. M365 Copilot’s ability to comprehend queries in multiple languages lowers adoption barriers and allows EY professionals to securely tap into external and internal data sources globally.
Perhaps most substantively, M365 Copilot is proving to be an important tool for disabled and neurodivergent EY professionals. A groundbreaking EY study of over 300 employees across 17 different organizations worldwide who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent indicates that 91% of respondents believe Gen AI is a valuable assistive technology, and 85% feel it can support a more inclusive work environment. As neurodiversity rises, with 53% of Generation-Z respondents identifying as neurodivergent today and a projection that this will increase to 70% for Generation Alpha, such impact signifies AI’s potential to enable a more accessible, empowering organizational culture.
Changing Mindsets & Behaviors
Integration of AI tools and agents into daily operations reshapes expectations around job roles, skill requirements, and leadership priorities. Prompt-engineering, no-code development, AI agent creation, and responsible AI are quickly becoming core competencies for everyone.
Forward-thinking professionals that embrace these new opportunities situate themselves as critical contributors to their organization’s future. At EY, the M365 Copilot experience conveys that meaningful cultural transformation isn’t a solitary “aha” moment, but rather a collective evolution of behaviors, workflows, and mindsets.
Employees must also understand that AI’s ability to enhance human capabilities doesn’t mean it can replicate human judgment, ethical reasoning, or values. “We often see efforts to anthropomorphize AI, and we have seen our people give human names to AI agents,” explains Fitzmaurice. “Superficially, this may seem harmless but it blurs the boundaries between tool and teammate. Leadership teams should reinforce the message that AI is a powerful tool requiring guardrails and controls, not a sentient colleague, to promote responsible AI education across the organization.”
Accelerating Professional Growth Through AI Collaboration
In this emerging era of AI coworkers, human empowerment must be foremost as evolving workforce strategies change how organizations operate, compete, and advance. Some employees continue to regard AI as a job threat but emphasizing a culture where embracing AI and the learning provided encourages confidence with emerging AI technologies and enhances careers.
As CIOs look ahead, AI agents and tools like M365 Copilot represent an inflection point in the way we work. Organizations that respond to this evolution by mobilizing their workforce to collaborate harmoniously alongside AI, adopting a mindset where AI assistants and AI agents become part of the natural workflow, will help create an environment where people aren’t competing with this technology, but growing their careers alongside it.
