Microsoft and LinkedIn’s 2024 Work Trend Index found that workplace AI use was spreading faster than many employers’ plans for measuring, governing and supporting it. The report also highlighted the growing role of AI skills in hiring and found that frequent AI users reported more leadership communication and role-specific training. These findings describe a 2024 snapshot—not current 2026 adoption rates or proof that AI alone caused better work outcomes.
What the 2024 Work Trend Index measured
Published on May 8, 2024, the annual report combined several kinds of evidence: a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries, LinkedIn labor and hiring trends, trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals, and research with Fortune 500 customers. Microsoft defines knowledge workers as people who typically work at a desk, in an office or at home. The findings therefore do not describe every kind of worker or rely on a single measurement method. Microsoft WorkLab’s 2024 report page and the full annual report provide the original details.
Most figures below are reported survey responses; LinkedIn hiring and profile trends and Microsoft product-usage data are separate evidence types. They should not be read as independently validated estimates or proof of cause and effect.
Workers adopted AI faster than many employers planned for it
In Microsoft and LinkedIn’s 2024 survey, 75% of knowledge workers said they used AI at work. Among surveyed AI users, 46% had started using it less than six months earlier. Also, 78% of AI users said they brought their own AI tools to work. These are distinct survey findings: broad use was rising, and much of the experimentation was not necessarily through an employer-provided tool. Microsoft and LinkedIn’s report presents that pattern as an opportunity for organizations to learn from employee experimentation as well as a governance and data-risk challenge.
#1 Best Overall
- Instant Copilot. Unlock new possibilities with the dedicated Copilot key, which gives you instant access to experiences that can enhance your productivity¹.
- Enhance your experience With the new microphone mute key and snipping key
- Full keyboard experience. Features a full mechanical keyset, backlit keys, and a large trackpad for precise navigation and control. Optimal key spacing allows fast, fluid typing.
- Slim and compact Performs like a traditional, full-size keyboard.
- Clicks in place instantly Use in combination with the Surface Pro (11th Edition), Pro 9 and Pro 8* kickstand for a perfect laptop experience anywhere.
For employees, using a personal AI service for work can raise practical questions about what information may be entered into it and whether the tool meets workplace rules. For employers, simply offering access does not answer how a task should change, how sensitive information is protected or whether the output is useful.
Leaders saw competitive pressure but lacked answers on measurement and plans
In the 2024 survey, 79% of leaders said adopting AI was necessary to stay competitive. Yet 59% worried about quantifying productivity gains, and 60% worried that their organization’s leadership lacked a plan and vision for implementation. The contrast matters: recognizing strategic importance is not the same as knowing which work to change or how to tell whether a change helped.
Rank #2
- Designed for Your Windows and Apple Devices | Install premium Office apps on your Windows laptop, desktop, MacBook or iMac. Works seamlessly across your devices for home, school, or personal productivity.
- Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook | Get premium versions of the essential Office apps that help you work, study, create, and stay organized.
- 1 TB Secure Cloud Storage | Store and access your documents, photos, and files from your Windows, Mac or mobile devices.
- Premium Tools Across Your Devices | Your subscription lets you work across all of your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices with apps that sync instantly through the cloud.
- Easy Digital Download with Microsoft Account | Product delivered electronically for quick setup. Sign in with your Microsoft account, redeem your code, and download your apps instantly to your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
A practical way to assess an organization’s AI approach is to look beyond tool access. Ask which workflow or task is being addressed, whether workers have training and leadership support, what data-governance rules apply, and how productivity or quality will be evaluated. Those are useful decision points suggested by the report’s themes, not a ranking or product test issued by Microsoft and LinkedIn.
AI skills were entering hiring conversations as workers sought support
In the report’s 2024 survey, 55% of leaders worried about having enough talent to fill roles that year, and 66% said they would not hire someone without AI skills. At the same time, just 39% of AI users said they had received AI training from their employer. These findings indicate that leaders were emphasizing AI aptitude while many workers reported limited employer-provided preparation; they do not guarantee that a particular credential or skill will secure an individual a job.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Palm Rest Comfort Keyboard for Business - Wired
- Exceptional comfort. Work all day, with reduced risk of fatigue and injury, on our Ergonomist-approved design.
- Excellent support. Improved cushion and ergonomically tested palm rest covered in premium fabric provides all-day comfort and promotes a neutral wrist posture.
- Be more productive with built-in shortcuts, including dedicated keys for office 365,* emojis, search, easy access to media controls, and more.
- Designed to last wired for reliable speed and accuracy. Crunch numbers Fast, with a dedicated integrated pad. Compatibility: Microsoft Windows 10, Limited functionality Windows 8.1/7 (Office and Emoji keys have no function)
Microsoft’s official 2024 report resource hub lists LinkedIn Learning options in AI literacy and role-specific courses. The report supports considering skills development, but it does not establish that those specific courses remain available on the same terms today.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequent AI users reported more support, not proven causation
Microsoft and LinkedIn describe “AI power users” as knowledge workers familiar with generative AI who use it at work several times a week and report saving more than 30 minutes per day. In the report, these frequent users also reported more leadership communication, encouragement and role-specific training. That is a pattern in the survey, not evidence that any one of those factors caused the reported time savings or other results.
The report also included a separate Microsoft product-usage measure: the heaviest 5% of Teams Copilot users summarized eight hours of meetings in March 2024. This was not a typical-user result. The example covered commercial customers over a rolling 28-day period ending in March 2024 and excluded EU usage and education; it should not be generalized to all workers or treated as a measure of productivity gains.
Workload pressure was a major part of the picture
In the 2024 survey, 68% of people said they struggled with the pace and volume of work, while 46% said they felt burned out. Those responses help explain why employees might experiment with tools that promise to reduce friction. They do not show that AI adoption resolved workload pressure, nor that AI use caused or prevented burnout.
Recommended Free Tools
How to read the report now
The Index is most useful as a dated account of how workplace AI was being adopted and discussed in 2024: employees were experimenting, leaders were weighing competitive pressure against planning and measurement challenges, and AI skills were gaining attention in hiring and development. Its figures are not 2026 prevalence rates. Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said, “AI is democratizing expertise across the workforce,” while LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said, “AI is redefining work and it’s clear we need new playbooks.” Both statements appeared in Microsoft’s May 8, 2024 announcement. Read Microsoft’s announcement.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
