Ideas: How to steer AI toward the future of work we want

In this episode of the Microsoft Research Podcast series Ideas, researchers say that what drives new technology forward are, in the end, the ideas that underpin it. This conversation centers on the New Future of Work initiative, which has continued research into how people actually work, and looks at how post-pandemic change, hybrid work, and the emergence of more powerful AI models are reshaping the workplace.

Microsoft Chief Scientist and Technical Fellow Jaime Teevan, together with Jenna Butler, Jake Hofman, and Rebecca Janssen, examines patterns of AI adoption and impact based on the Microsoft New Future of Work Report 2025. The core of the discussion is the reality that the benefits of AI are not spreading evenly, and that intentional design is needed to build a future in which people can truly thrive.

The conversation also addresses the question of whether to view AI as a tool or as a collaborator. This goes beyond a simple difference in naming, since it changes the very perspective on how AI should be designed and deployed within organizations.