THE AI INTERVIEW
How to develop AI by learning from people One of Microsoft’ s core strategies for evolving AI is to look at how it works with its own people and crucially, putting people first.
“ You innovate with AI in service of your human staff,” Pamela says.“ They shouldn’ t be in competition with one another.”
Internal data shows that employees get interrupted every two minutes. That’ s roughly 275 interruptions daily: emails, chats and meetings – each one fragmenting focus and eroding productivity.
Microsoft’ s Work Trend Index, surveying 31,000 people across 31 countries, shows the human cost: 80 % of workers report lacking the time and energy to do their jobs, while 53 % of leaders insist productivity must keep increasing.
Pamela calls this the“ capacity gap” – and she knows it’ s not a problem you can solve with better time management.
“ You can’ t actually solve the problem by telling people to work harder,” she says.“ You need to give people a new way of work, a new way of extending their productivity beyond the limits of human time – and that’ s where AI is really important.
28 February 2026