Why the impact of AI is being under-estimated and how it will transform business productivity

Technology changes everything eventually and has always shaped how we work. The difference today is the speed at which that change is unfolding. Advances in AI are accelerating the world of work at a speed most organisations - and individuals - are currently struggling to grasp. Headlines often focus on the threat of the elimination of roles and concerns that younger generations will struggle to enter the labour market, yet far less attention is paid to the incredible opportunity for progress.

 I’ve been in business for five decades, just over half of which have been in an analogue world. I remember the advent of email over 20 years ago. In most instances, the companies that were deeply sceptical and hung on to the old and familiar didn’t survive the transition. Progress moved on without them. 

 Today, we are at a similar inflection point. AI is already boosting productivity, opening up entirely new career paths, and challenging the status quo. 

 AI isn’t the end of work - it’s the start of better work

Increasingly, it is younger employees teaching older colleagues how to use the tools that are redefining modern work. Recent research from International Workplace Group (IWG) shows that Gen Z employees are playing a pivotal role in driving AI adoption across the workforce with nearly two-thirds of younger workers actively helping older colleagues learn and use AI tools - from hands-on coaching to practical tips that embed

 AI into everyday workflows. This reverse mentoring is unlocking real gains in productivity and collaboration.

 Yet despite this progress, anxiety dominates much of the conversation. According to a recent World Economic Forum survey, more than half of business executives expect AI to displace jobs and there seems to be a growing fear that entry-level jobs are being automated away, leaving young people without the stepping stones they need to progress into senior roles. While that reality makes some people nervous, we live in a world where AI creates a wealth of new roles and opportunities. 

 AI-enhanced training is accelerating learning in ways we’ve never seen before - whether in the classroom, at university or on the job - allowing young people to move up the learning curve far faster than previous generations. The chairs are going to move around and while there could be a small decrease in employment, the reality is jobs are going to change. Young people will have to be much more focused on what their entry point will be if they're coming into the job market, let's say in a year, two years, three years or five years’ time.

 Moore’s Law and exponential progress 

To understand what’s happening now, it’s worth looking back. In the early 1970s, Intel released the 4004, the world’s first commercial microprocessor. Soon after, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore noticed something curious: the number of transistors on a chip seemed to double roughly every two years. Moore didn’t intend this as a marketing slogan, but it captured something profound - progress wasn’t linear, it was exponential.

 That observation became known as Moore’s Law. The message was simple and powerful: if you wait two years, you won’t get a small upgrade - you’ll get a dramatic leap forward. 

 The velocity of business 

This is the mistake we’re making with AI today. We’re treating it like a modest efficiency tool, when in reality it’s part of an exponential curve – the most significant shift I’ve seen since starting Regus in 1989. Exponential change doesn’t just tweak jobs - it changes the velocity of business itself.

 I’ve seen this before. With the advent of email, I can remember respectable companies insisting they would never adopt it. They didn’t trust it. They said the postal service had worked for centuries, so why change? But email was progress. And once email, smartphones and the internet were used properly, business didn’t slow down - it sped up massively.

 AI will do the same. The assumption many people are making is that business will continue moving at the same pace, just with fewer people. That’s wrong. When individuals can do ten or twenty times more work in a day, organisations don’t stand still. They expand what’s possible. Yes, jobs will change. There may be fewer of them in certain categories, and entry points into the workforce will look different. Young people will need to be more intentional about where and how they start their careers. But technological shifts in the past didn’t reduce economic activity - they reshaped it. People had to develop new skills to demonstrate their value, and those who adapted moved faster than everyone else.

 AI is also a far better teacher than the old model of learning by osmosis. AI-enhanced training can get people up the learning curve faster than ever before, increasingly starting in the classroom, well before someone lands their first job. By removing drudgery and creating massive efficiencies, AI frees people to do what humans do best: think creatively, solve problems, and come up with new ideas.

In an AI-world, self-starters win 

One of the qualities I look for in future talent is their ability to use AI effectively, recognising how this can turbocharge a business’ potential. People who already have a subscription to an AI tool and are actively learning how to leverage it today are at an advantage. They can bring new skills, energy and innovation to rapidly expanding businesses, driving further productivity and growth.

 Young people need to think ahead and ask themselves: “Where will I get the best career experience in this new world?” “Do I have the skills that future companies will value?” In the past, ambitious employees learned programming in the evenings or picked up extra qualifications alongside their jobs. That mindset is more critical than ever now. Don’t rely solely on schools or universities to prepare you. Seek out an AI club. Join a community. Teach yourself the tools that are transforming industries. Take responsibility for your own development.

 Paving the way ahead

Every major technological shift throughout history follows the same pattern: many cling to what they know, while a smaller group adapts early and captures the gains. What makes this moment different is speed. The velocity of business is increasing faster than at any point in recent memory.

 AI, like Intel’s early chips, is a foundational technology - one that compounds and reshapes everything built on top of it. It’s not a distant possibility or a passing trend; it’s already the engine of scale and competitive advantage.

 Those willing to engage, learn and experiment with AI now will find that opportunity expands rather than contracts. History is clear on this: in periods of exponential change, those who move first gain the most.

About International Workplace Group PLC

International Workplace Group (IWG) is the world’s leading platform for work enabling companies of all sizes to work more productively and profitably. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for the most exciting companies and well-known organisations on the planet, as well as individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of IWG’s platform to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.

International Workplace Group’s unrivalled network coverage includes more than 4,000 locations across 120 countries and 83% of Fortune 500 companies are amongst our growing customer base.

Our brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature serve millions of people, providing professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces and all our digital services are available via the IWG app.

For more information

Visit www.iwgplc.com and for more information on partnering with International Workplace Group, see: https://www.iwgplc.com/develop-a-location ​