Microsoft Finds AI Most Helpful for Information and Communication Tasks
Recent analysis of real-world conversations with Bing Copilot reveals that generative AI mainly supports tasks related to information retrieval, writing, and communication. This insight comes from examining how users actually interact with AI, offering a clearer picture than speculation alone.
Why This Matters
As AI tools like Bing Copilot become more common, there's increasing talk about which jobs AI might replace or assist. Much of this discussion is based on expert guesses rather than real usage data. The truth is AI's impact depends heavily on how people use it and the kinds of tasks it handles well—similar to how a Swiss Army knife is handy for some jobs but not all.
The Study in Brief
Researchers analyzed 200,000 anonymized conversations from US Bing Copilot users. They identified users’ goals and AI responses, then matched these to a US government database of work activities. This allowed them to assign an “AI applicability score” to different occupations, showing where AI is most and least useful in practice—whether for gathering information or offering explanations and advice.
Key Findings
- Information and writing tasks dominate: AI most often supports tasks around retrieving information, writing, and communication, which are central to knowledge-based work.
- AI as explainer and advisor: Rather than completing tasks directly, AI frequently acts as an explainer, advisor, or coach. In about 40% of cases, the AI’s role differed from users’ original goals.
- Jobs most affected: Roles like interpreters, writers, sales representatives, customer service agents, and tech workers showed the highest AI applicability.
- Jobs less affected: Occupations involving physical tasks—such as nursing assistants and machine operators—had the lowest AI applicability scores.
- Education and wage links: Jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree scored slightly higher for AI support, but wage levels showed little connection.
- Real-world use matches expert predictions: The study found a strong correlation (r = 0.73) between AI applicability scores and previous expert forecasts about AI’s impact on jobs.
Why This Matters for Customer Support and Writers
If your role involves writing or communicating information, AI tools like Bing Copilot can offer valuable support. They help with researching topics, drafting messages, and even advising on tone or structure. Understanding where AI fits can improve your efficiency and open opportunities to focus on higher-level tasks.
For customer support professionals, AI can assist by suggesting explanations, coaching on responses, and organizing information quickly. This lets you handle queries more effectively without AI replacing the human touch that’s essential in customer relations.
Potential Applications
- Identify which parts of your job can be augmented by AI tools today.
- Guide skill development by focusing on tasks less likely to be automated.
- Track how AI’s role in your occupation evolves over time.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
This study only reflects how Bing Copilot users interacted with AI, so it may not represent every industry or job type. It focuses on how AI supports tasks rather than measuring actual job changes or salary impacts.
For those interested in expanding their AI skills relevant to writing and customer support, training resources like Complete AI Training's courses by job offer practical guidance on integrating AI tools effectively.
Source: Microsoft Research. Full paper available at http://arxiv.org/abs/2507.07935v1.
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