Artificial intelligence can reduce time spent on communication and boost workplace productivity

Professionals often spend more than half their workday responding to messages, attending meetings, and managing emails. This is according to the Work Trend Index, a Microsoft study based on aggregated data from Microsoft 365.

The research found that 57% of the working time of the users analyzed was dedicated to communication, while the remaining 43% was allocated to creative tasks, such as creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Rather than replacing jobs, artificial intelligence can focus on tasks that precede or accompany these activities, such as organizing information, summarizing content, and preparing materials.

How artificial intelligence can save time

One of the most direct applications is in information processing. An AI tool can take a meeting transcript and convert the conversation into a summary that includes decisions, pending tasks, and next steps.

The same principle applies to lengthy documents. Instead of reading dozens of pages to find specific information, a professional can use an AI tool to summarize, compare, or locate data within the material.

Another potential application is in emails and chats. AI can help categorize messages, identify priorities, and draft responses, leaving professionals only to review and decide what to send.

The problem isn’t just about meetings

The volume of communication has also increased. Microsoft’s telemetry data shows that professionals are interrupted, on average, every two minutes during work hours by meetings, emails, or messages.

In another survey conducted in 2025, the company found that the employees analyzed received an average of more than 100 emails and 150 messages from Microsoft Teams daily.

In this context, AI can act as an organizational layer between professionals and information overload. The technology can, for example:

• summarize meetings and documents;
• convert conversations into task lists;
• identify important information in files;
• create initial drafts of texts;
• organize data for analysis;
• answer questions about internal documents.

How professional routines will change

The impact is likely to be most noticeable in the preparation, organization, and execution of repetitive tasks. This doesn’t mean the tool should make decisions on its own.

In professional activities, human review remains essential, especially when dealing with strategic information, financial data, legal issues, or decisions that affect others.

Microsoft itself highlights an evolution in the use of AI as an assistant to systems capable of performing specific tasks under human guidance. In its 2025 report, the company describes this shift as a transition to teams that combine professionals and AI agents.

For professionals, the change may be less about working faster on individual tasks and more about reducing the operational work that takes up parts of the workday.