McKinsey partner predicts up to half of work hours may change in five years

(SeaPRwire) –   Over the last several years, AI tools have become part of the everyday workflow for regular employees—and today, proficiency with this technology is growing increasingly essential for workers. Being fluent in AI is fast becoming a basic requirement; Anu Madgavkar, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, forecasts that advanced technology could reshape up to half of professionals’ work lives by the end of the 2020s. 

“We have extensive research indicating that between 30% and 50% of an individual’s work hours and tasks could shift and evolve over the next three to five years,” Madgavkar recently stated during the “What Do We Mean By ‘AI Fluency?’” panel hosted by McKinsey at ’s Workplace Innovation Summit. 

AI fluency is a trending topic among employers, defined by a McKinsey partner as workers’ ability to leverage tools effectively in their professional duties. The management consulting firm has also found that efficiency gains are already here; per a 2025 McKinsey report, today’s technology can theoretically automate activities accounting for roughly 57% of U.S. work hours. Current AI agents can handle tasks making up 44% of Americans’ work time, while robots can take on an additional 13% of employees’ clocked hours. No career is immune to change: McKinsey’s findings show every job will require skill updates by 2030. 

“The core of AI tools lies in how we adapt and collaborate with tools integrated with AI capabilities,” Madgavkar continued. “It’s not about any specific software tool’s functions—it’s a new way of working.”

However, this doesn’t mean workers are becoming obsolete. McKinsey’s 2025 research also reveals that AI won’t push human skills aside, predicting that around 70% of current workforce skills can be applied to both automatable and non-automatable tasks. Other leaders also emphasize that AI fluency includes knowing when to use the technology—human intuition remains critical in this transformation. 

“AI is integrated into every aspect of what we do. So training on a single tool is very short-lived,” Yelena Naginsky, talent and performance lead at Google DeepMind, also shared during the summit panel. “You need to understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Is this the right tool for you?…We don’t need more content.”

Scott Helmes, chief people officer at cloud-based HR platform Gusto, echoes the perspectives of McKinsey and Google DeepMind leaders on AI fluency. AI is also emerging as a powerful driver in both personal and professional lives. He noted that this tech revolution feels distinctly different from others due to its rapid pace of innovation; over the past 12 to 18 months, the trajectory of technology has changed dramatically. Integrating these tools into workflows can be a major win for businesses’ user experience. 

“AI fluency isn’t just about tool use—knowing which tool, when to use it, or why,” the CPO explained during the session. “It’s about how AI is transforming and amplifying your ability to drive impact for your customers through the use of these tools.”