Future of Work 2030: Making AI work in the workplace

The workplace has always been a proving ground for technological advances. Every new wave makes the same promise — work will be smarter, faster and more efficient — but in practice, the technology falls short when implemented isolation.

AI is no different. It’s not that AI can’t deliver, but that it can’t deliver alone.

The Future of Work 2030 report, developed by Everest Group and based on a global survey of over 330 organizations, explains why. It also shows that real change is underway: Organizations are moving from isolated experiments and pilot projects to convergence, where workplace, network and field operations function as one integrated system.

So, what will work be like by 2030? Before we look ahead, let’s first take a step back.

Fragmented systems undermine investments in technology

Over the past decade, many organizations have invested heavily in automation, cloud adoption and collaboration platforms to support an increasingly hybrid workforce.

Yet, for all this modernization and investment, the results have often been underwhelming. Network reliability issues place real constraints on performance. Productivity gains have been uneven. And although employees work with these technologies every day, employee satisfaction has too often been an afterthought.

It’s easy to blame the technology instead of looking inward, but most workplaces still operate as fragmented ecosystems instead of integrated environments. Now, AI is being layered on top rather than embedded into everyday workflows — and without this integration, intelligence has nowhere to scale.

What the Everest Group report reveals

The Future of Work 2030 research shows one thing clearly: It’s not the lack of technology that’s the problem but a lack of cohesion. The report explains why, highlights where transformation has stalled and suggests what needs to come together for AI to deliver the outcomes organizations expect.

Why AI is the foundation for convergence

Bringing workplace, network and field environments together as one closely integrated operating system is key to delivering measurable business outcomes. But real value materializes only when intelligence is embedded across this operating system — and this is why AI is the foundation of convergence.

The Everest Group research shows that, by 2030, 74% of organizations expect employees to have moved from AI experimentation to everyday use, relying on AI copilots for most of their daily tasks. Making this possible is a flow of intelligence through integrated environments, supporting work where it happens rather than being confined to standalone tools.

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Addressing the skills gap

The research also highlights a growing need for reskilling, particularly as AI moves closer to core workflows and decision-making. Technical expertise is an issue, but not the only one: Some employees lack the confidence to work alongside intelligent systems and understand where automation adds value.

When scaling workplace transformation, 48% of organizations encounter resistance to change or a low level of employee adoption as a primary challenge. Without employee buy-in, it’s difficult to make AI stick. Sustained investment in skills and change management is essential to realizing its full potential.

The 4C roadmap for real-world ways of working

For AI to deliver meaningful value, organizations need a clear plan that brings together technology, infrastructure and the human experience in one cohesive system. Everest Group calls this the “4C model of future work”: composable, cognitive, connected and curated. This model offers organizations a roadmap for real-world ways of working.

1. Composable: Workplaces classified as composable are designed to adapt continuously. Modular, plug-and-play architectures allow capabilities to be added, changed or scaled without having to rebuild the whole environment from the ground up each time.
2. Cognitive: This is where AI becomes part of everyday work. Intelligence is embedded into workflows through copilots, automation and agents that support tasks and decisions in real time.
3. Connected: Connected environments support the free flow of intelligence. A reliable, always-on network links systems and locations, allowing information to flow through office, frontline and field environments in real time.
4. Curated: This brings in the human element, focusing on streamlined adoption and experiences. Tools are matched to different roles and how people work so that they can be used easily and frequently.

Everest Group refers to organizations with all four C’s in place as “best in class.” These organizations consistently report stronger workplace transformation outcomes and a higher degree of AI adoption.

The proof is in the performance

As organizations move from intent to action, they anticipate significant gains in several areas:

• Productivity gains: The research shows that 57% of organizations expect a productivity uplift of more than 35% by 2030 from technologies such as GenAI and agentic AI.
• Resilience: As workplace IT and OT environments converge, organizations anticipate significant improvements in security and operational continuity.
• Experience parity: Although only 22% of organizations currently prioritize frontline enablement, the Everest research shows that organizations which invest in supporting frontline work are likely to see a higher ROI than those that continue to focus on office roles.
• Governance for impact: Telemetry shows how employees are adopting AI, while outcome-linked experience level agreements (XLAs) complement service level agreements (SLAs) by measuring the business value of workplace modernization alongside what has been deployed.

At this point, the roadmap for leaders is clear: For AI to be effective in the workplace, they need to break down silos, invest in reskilling at scale, shift to outcome-linked sourcing models and prioritize frontline roles.

NTT DATA: Preparing you for 2030, today

NTT DATA helps organizations turn workplace ambition into measurable outcomes. Recognized globally for our Digital Workplace services and Microsoft Modern Work solutions, we can support you in implementing the 4C model, using agentic AI and intelligent automation to simplify and streamline busywork.

Our clients are already seeing results. For example, the employees of a major US financial services provider now access targeted use cases directly through Microsoft Teams, speeding up issue resolution and embedding support into their day-to-day work. The result is a more seamless employee experience and faster value gained from workplace transformation.

As AI becomes embedded in everyday operations, the workplace will once again determine whether the promise of technology translates into business performance. Bringing intelligence, infrastructure and experience together will keep this moment of change from becoming another missed opportunity.

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