By Chinenye Anuforo

The Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Ola Williams, in a recent statement noted that; “AI at work is a reality today and it’s transforming the way we spend our time.

“It’s incredible to think that the global job market is set to grow by 78 million jobs by 2030, with technological advancements helping lead the way,” Williams said.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) highlighted that the fastest-growing roles will be those driven by tech innovations like AI, robotics and digital access. At the top of the list of the fastest-growing jobs are positions such as Big Data Specialists, FinTech Engineers, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, and Software and Applications Developers.

AI is already being utilised across various sectors in Africa, including agriculture, healthcare, and education, to enhance productivity and efficiency. “AI is making these jobs easier, faster, and better,” she explained.

The Microsoft research revealed that two key factors drive significant AI-powered improvements: the nature of the work and the volume of data utilized. “Jobs that involve lots of data, like analyzing customer information, are seeing the biggest improvements from AI,” Williams noted.

“Cybersecurity, Sales, Product Development, Sales, Tech Support, Marketing, and Public Relations have been first to witness how AI enhances their daily tasks, offers opportunities for innovation, reduces repetitive work, and enables more informed and therefore faster decision making,” she added.

“Today’s growing cyber threats need constant attention and prompt reactions. AI helps by analyzing lots of data, spotting patterns, and finding problems in real-time. This lets IT and cybersecurity experts focus on planning and reacting to threats faster.

For Sales, building strong relationships and closing deals are key for success,” Williams explained.

“AI is transforming sales by quickly analyzing customer data and personalizing emails. This helps salespeople focus on important tasks and spend more time building relationships with potential clients.” “Customer service agents use AI to streamline interactions, resolve inquiries more efficiently, and improve overall customer satisfaction,” Williams stated.

“The companies that have implemented AI chatbots say that it efficiently handles routine inquiries, therefore freeing up agents for complex cases.

In Marketing and PR, AI helps find new trends and opportunities by analyzing large amounts of data,” Williams said.

“It can speed up tasks like checking SEO trends, drafting content, doing market research, and planning product launches. By using AI in the workplace, professionals are building new skillsets, but also new habits,” Williams observed.

The Work Trend Index Report, a joint report from Microsoft and LinkedIn, revealed that global use of GenAI doubled between 2023 and 2024, with three out of four people already using AI at work.”

“In Africa, use of GenAI is projected to grow significantly, reaching a market size of almost $9 billion by 2030. Some jobs are seeing great time savings thanks to tools like Microsoft Copilot, with 90 percent of users globally reporting this benefit.”

The Work Trend Index also highlighted a 142x increase in LinkedIn members globally adding AI skills like ChatGPT and Copilot to their profiles. “Over half of young people included in research pointed out that new technologies are vital to their career decisions,” Williams said.

“This is to such a significant degree in Africa that more than half of employees say they would change their minds about seeking out a new job if their current employer invested in new technology like automation.”

“Tools like Microsoft Copilot are shaking up productivity, letting people work more efficiently. But though African leaders recognize AI’s crucial role in driving growth and resilience, many organizations still don’t have solid AI strategies in place. This gap often forces employees to use personal AI tools, which can lead to security and privacy issues,” she warned.

“As AI keeps transforming industries, we need to rethink our approach to technology, aiming to unlock its full potential for creating business value. It’s essential for companies to roll out standardized, enterprise-ready AI tools and provide thorough training to make sure their use is both secure and effective.”