AI Power Users Outpace Peers—Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index Reveals How

AI is reshaping work, but power users are pulling ahead

Artificial intelligence is unlocking new capabilities for knowledge workers, according to Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index. The report, based on a survey of 20,000 knowledge workers who use AI at work, reveals that AI is not just automating tasks—it’s creating entirely new possibilities.

Among all AI users surveyed, 66% say AI allows them to spend more time on high-value work, and 58% report producing work they couldn’t have completed just one year ago. For a subset of AI power users—Microsoft calls them “frontier professionals”—the impact is even greater: 80% say AI enables them to achieve outcomes previously impossible.

From efficiency to ‘capability add’

“Instead of just automating away what people used to do—which is an efficiency gain—what we’re seeing is much more exciting,” says Katy George, corporate vice president of workforce transformation at Microsoft. “What we’re calling ‘capability add.’”

Examples of this capability add include:

• Using AI to identify and address software security vulnerabilities
• Enabling sales teams to prepare for customer meetings in ways previously impossible or impractical
• Automating routine tasks to free up time for strategic decision-making

While these benefits initially accrue to AI power users, they can share their knowledge with colleagues or benefit from a supportive work environment. Microsoft’s research shows that employees are more likely to derive value from agentic AI when managers model effective AI use.

Power users balance AI with human judgment

AI power users don’t rely on AI in every situation. Some intentionally take longer to complete tasks to explore how AI can best assist. Others deliberately perform certain tasks without AI to maintain their skills. The survey found:

• 43% of frontier professionals and 30% of AI users overall purposely avoid AI for some tasks to keep their skills sharp.
• 53% of frontier professionals and 33% of AI users overall take time before starting a task to decide which parts should be handled by AI and which require human input.

This balance reflects the ongoing importance of human judgment, critical thinking, and quality control—even as AI becomes more prevalent. Despite improvements in AI accuracy, 86% of surveyed workers treat AI output as a starting point rather than a final answer, acknowledging risks like hallucinations and errors.

“What declines is the amount of tactical, step-by-step execution work humans do themselves. And what rises is the need for humans to set direction, define standards, and evaluate outcomes.”

AI is changing the nature of expertise

Even workers who don’t supervise teams are now applying management and delegation skills to oversee AI. This shift requires:

• Setting clear directions for AI tasks
• Defining standards for AI outputs
• Evaluating AI-generated results

“People with real judgment and expertise are driving the most effective use of AI,” says Katy George. This also extends to IT and cybersecurity teams, which play a critical role in setting up permissions and environments for safe AI operations.

As AI reshapes the workplace, the divide between power users and others grows. Those who master AI’s capabilities—while maintaining human oversight—are positioned to lead the next wave of productivity and innovation.