AI is unleashing the workforce – they’re going to love it
“That’s the magic of these platforms. Whether you’re the CEO of a multinational enterprise or a six-person startup, you have access to the same powerful features.”
Gary Sorrentino, Global Chief Information Officer
Zoom
Gary Sorrentino spends a lot of time talking to people, learning about the challenges organizations face and how they use technology to solve them. Through those conversations, he’s noticed a shift in what work looks like, with modern collaboration tools making it possible to move beyond what used to be considered “good enough.” Integrated artificial intelligence (AI) can take on many of the repetitive, low-value tasks. But it’s more than just automation. It’s liberation, enabling employees to spend more time contributing meaningfully to their organization’s success.
“These tools are democratizing a lot of innovation,” says Sorrentino, Global Chief Information Officer at Zoom. “AI is now included in so many tools. That puts a lot of power into the hands of not just big corporations, but smaller companies and even individuals, leaving them free to focus on what really matters.” AI (particularly GenAI) has been heralded as the key to doing more, faster – but Gary sees things a little differently. It isn’t necessarily “more” in terms of output; it’s “more” of the work we enjoy best. By reducing or eliminating the time spent on the more mundane aspects of our roles, we are freed to focus on the exciting work that moves the needle.
“We’re past the old story of kids growing up hearing their parents complain about work. Workers want more – and that’s a good thing.”
Rethinking how we work
Adopting new technology used to follow what was known as the “lift and shift” model. When rolling out new solutions, existing workloads would simply be lifted from the old solutions and shifted into the new ones. Once the transition was complete, work would carry on exactly as it had before. The only real change? Perhaps a new user interface or faster processing times.
“It’s like getting a new car,” explains Sorrentino. “Everything’s shiny and new, maybe the ride is a little smoother, but it doesn’t really change my daily commute. I still drive to the same coffee shop on my way to work every day. But what if my new car can drive me there on its own? Now I’m still getting to the office with my coffee, but the experience of getting there is totally different, and I can make far better use of the time I spend commuting.”
Similarly, AI tools are poised to change the lift and shift model, offering the ability to rethink how work is done. And it appears that today’s workers are ready to embrace that shift in mindset.
“We’re past the old story of kids growing up hearing their parents complain about work. Workers want more – and that’s a good thing,” says Sorrentino. “We used to tell our staff to think out of the box. Well, that’s what they are doing; it’s what they’ve been wanting to do all along.”
Today’s workers are not bound by traditional ways of working. They’re trying new things. Figuring out better ways of accomplishing their goals. Getting tasks done in less time – so they can devote more time to the meaningful parts of their jobs and level up their careers faster.
“AI is now included in so many tools. That puts a lot of power into the hands of not just big corporations, but smaller companies and even individuals, leaving them free to focus on what really matters.”
Reducing the mundane
Modern AI collaboration tools can make these innovations possible. They encourage employees to be curious, to ask what mundane tasks can be eliminated. It can help staff transform their roles into the most meaningful and fulfilling versions of their jobs.
That might include enabling AI tools to summarize information from emails, calendars, chats and more so workers are better prepared. It might include a platform that automatically creates a shared workspace whenever a meeting is scheduled, enabling all participants to start working together on agenda items ahead of time – essentially creating an asynchronous meeting. In some cases, they might discover that the actual meeting is completely unnecessary, freeing up even more time.
Many platforms include enough functionality that teams can do many different tasks within that single tool – sometimes even more than they realize. This can reduce the time wasted by having to constantly switch between applications.
Having everything on one platform can also enable AI-powered tools to better manage multi-component projects, saving even more time by connecting the dots between relevant files and lessening the need to go digging through folders for specific information. By removing repetitive work and the time lost switching back and forth between siloed applications, AI tools can help employees focus on more strategic, creative and high-impact contributions, which transforms not only how they work but how they grow in their careers.
Leveling the playing field
These opportunities aren’t just available to the biggest players with the deepest pockets. AI integration in a wide range of tools and platforms means businesses of all sizes can access all kinds of innovative functionalities. And while these solutions are typically available right out of the box, they also come with enough flexibility so that companies can implement policies and controls that help them remain compliant with relevant security and regulatory requirements. Sorrentino recalls a conversation he had on an airplane with someone about her company’s experience with the Zoom platform – how they use it, what it helps them do, features they’d like to see, and so on. It wasn’t until he got back to the office and looked up her company that he realized they had only four licences.
“But what I heard from her was exactly what I’d expect to hear from our biggest customers,” he says. “That’s the magic of these platforms. Whether you’re the CEO of a multinational enterprise or a six-person startup, you have access to many of the same powerful features.”
“Much of my role involves showing people what I call ‘the art of the possible.’ I demo some of the features that come standard with the Zoom platform that they may not have even realized were there.”
Embracing the art of the possible
The transformation of work isn’t just about replacing tasks. It’s about reimagining what’s possible. As AI becomes seamlessly integrated into everyday tools, it can empower employees to shift their focus from the mundane to the meaningful, driving more innovation, creativity and fulfillment. And the seamless integration isn’t just benefitting the end users. By being intuitive to use, the tools are designed to be easier to deploy so employee adoption comes more naturally.
So, not only can we do more, we might just enjoy it more, too.
In May of 2025, Bell and Zoom announced an exclusive partnership to offer AI-enabled collaboration to Canadian companies nationwide. Workplace from Bell and Zoom provides a more seamless work experience that brings the power of AI and other modern tools to organizations of all sizes. Find out more about Workplace from Bell and Zoom. For more industry and thought-leader perspectives, visit Bell’s business blog.