How People Use AI at Work: Top Tasks Revealed by Microsoft

AI Is Moving Into Everyday Work

Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index shows AI is becoming part of everyday knowledge work. The company analyzed trillions of anonymized Microsoft 365 productivity signals and surveyed 20,000 AI-using workers across 10 countries. The findings show people increasingly use AI not only for routine tasks but also for higher-value thinking and decision-making.

Analysis Leads AI Use

Analysis, decision-making, and problem-solving account for nearly half of Microsoft 365 Copilot chat activity. Microsoft reports that these activities represent about 49% of classified Copilot user goals. This suggests workplace AI is increasingly being used to process information, examine problems, support decisions, and help workers handle tasks requiring deeper reasoning.

Communication Remains Important

AI is also being used to support workplace communication. Microsoft’s data shows that 19% of classified Copilot activity involves working with others. Employees can use AI to help organize information, prepare messages, coordinate work, and support collaboration. This positions AI as an assistant across communication workflows rather than only an individual productivity tool.

Creating Work Outputs

Producing work outputs represents another significant category of AI activity. Microsoft reports that 17% of classified Copilot user goals involve work output. Employees can use AI to help draft, structure, refine, or develop content. The shift indicates that AI is increasingly participating in the production stage, while people remain responsible for reviewing the final result.

Finding Information Faster

Information search accounts for 15% of classified Copilot user goals in Microsoft’s analysis. AI can help employees locate relevant information, summarize material, and organize knowledge for specific tasks. This matters because information retrieval can consume significant working time, particularly when employees must search across documents, messages, meetings, and other workplace sources.

Human Judgment Still Matters

Microsoft’s research also highlights the continuing importance of human judgment. Half of surveyed AI users identified quality control of AI output as an increasingly important skill, while 46% pointed to critical thinking. About 86% said they treat AI output as a starting point rather than a final answer and remain responsible for the thinking.

AI Is Moving Beyond Individual Tasks

Microsoft’s latest findings suggest workplace AI is moving from isolated tasks toward broader workflows. Its July 2026 analysis found that multi-step workflows, such as analyzing data and drafting an email, increased the share of analysis-related work to 49%. The emerging model combines AI execution with human direction, judgment, and accountability.

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