It’s no secret that artificial intelligence has evolved far beyond a simple automation tool. While its capabilities continue to expand, what you choose to do with them can make all the difference. The most effective professionals today don’t just use AI to offload repetitive tasks. Instead, they collaborate with AI as a strategic partner. By treating AI as a teammate, individuals and teams can unlock deeper insights, generate new ideas, and work more efficiently. This shift in mindset is what separates simple AI users from strategic AI collaborators. Let’s dive more into this differentiation of AI adoption attitudes.
Simple AI Users vs. Strategic AI Collaborators
How you view AI can completely alter how much you gain from it. Simple AI users view artificial intelligence as an automated tool that helps them complete tasks. They will only give AI tasks that make “getting the job done” a bit more efficient. For example, a person may write an email themselves but use AI to rephrase confusing portions to make it more succinct. AI is used more as a personal assistant. This type of user of AI is not getting the most out of the technology.
Strategic AI collaborators on the other hand use AI as a “partner.” They view AI as an individual or even an additional team that has a wide range of skills. A great example of utilizing AI in this way is bouncing ideas off of a chatbot while a coworker is busy. AI can give you useful feedback in real time and if you treat it as a collaborator, you can have a productive conversation.
Leadership and Team Attitudes Shape AI Adoption
While viewing AI as a collaborator is easier said than done, we understand that company leadership plays a crucial role in fostering this AI-driven culture. When leaders encourage experimentation and integrate AI into their workflows, employees are 2.5x more likely to become strategic AI collaborators. Conversely, when leaders meet AI with fear or skepticism, employees may hesitate to embrace its full potential. To drive AI adoption, leaders should share how they use AI in their own decision-making, providing best practices for their employees. This creates a safe space for coworkers to showcase their AI-driven successes.
The Data Doesn’t Lie
When businesses utilize AI to its full potential, they can unlock benefits they didn’t know were imaginable. While basic AI users save around 53 minutes per day, advanced AI collaborators save up to 105 minutes. This is equivalent to an extra workday each week. More importantly, strategic AI users are 1.8x more likely to be viewed as innovative teammates and 1.5x more likely to reinvest their time into learning new skills. Furthermore, organizations that use AI for enhanced decision-making see an ROI of $129.4 million annually. When compared to organizations that only use AI for task-specific purposes, this is a $64.3 million difference. With all of this to say, AI is not just about efficiency—it’s about transformation.
Atlassian AI Tools: Atlassian Intelligence and Rovo
Reaping these benefits by utilizing AI to this degree sounds amazing, but what kinds of tools should you utilize? While many companies have created some form of AI feature, Atlassian has recognized the need for AI collaboration and developed two powerful AI-driven tools to support teams:
- Atlassian Intelligence: Embedded across Atlassian Cloud products, Atlassian Intelligence helps teams accelerate work, automate repetitive tasks, and gain actionable insights. Built with OpenAI collaboration and internal models, it enhances teamwork by constructing a custom “teamwork graph” that maps out relationships and workflows.
- Rovo: Rovo acts as an AI-powered assistant that enables users to quickly locate and analyze information across their Atlassian and third-party applications. It streamlines knowledge discovery and decision-making. Features such as Rovo Search and Rovo Chat allow teams to interact with company knowledge, ask AI-driven questions, and automate repetitive tasks without switching contexts.
The Future of Adopting AI as a Teammate
The future of work is not AI replacing the human touch, but rather taking human potential to new heights. By transitioning from simple AI usage to strategic AI collaboration, individuals and teams can enhance work quality and drive innovation. Companies that embrace AI as a trusted teammate will position themselves for long-term success. If you are interested in learning more about Atlassian Intelligence, Rovo, or other AI tools, contact our experts today.
