Artificial Intelligence and Hybrid Jobs

Digitalization, artificial intelligence, and the rapid advancement of technology have ushered in a new era of business transformation that affects workforce dynamics, working methods, and individuals’ daily lives. As organizations try to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital environment, the nature of work is changing, and new opportunities and challenges are emerging for employees. One of the most notable developments in this digital age is the hybridization of work, which combines in-person and remote work arrangements while integrating human expertise with AI-driven solutions. This shift towards hybrid work models has been accelerated by global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the necessity of flexible and technology-driven work environments. The integration of digitalization and artificial intelligence has further revolutionized hybrid work by enhancing collaboration, automating routine tasks, and enabling seamless communication through AI-powered tools and digital platforms. These advancements have made it easier for employees to stay connected, manage tasks efficiently, and maintain productivity regardless of their physical location. As a result, hybrid work has become a more viable and sustainable model for organizations and employees. Hybrid work offers numerous advantages, including increased flexibility, improved work-life balance, more efficient use of time throughout the day/week. Contrary to its advantages, there are some challenges including impaired working relationships with coworkers, more difficulty in coordinating work schedules, tasks, and timetables with teammates, and feeling less connected to the culture of the organization. This thesis aims to explore the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on hybrid work, examining how these technological advancements are transforming work structures, employee experiences, and work processes. A survey study is conducted to assess how hybrid workers perceive and experience the ongoing transformation in the business world due to digitalization and artificial intelligence. Chapter 1 | The first chapter explains the term digitalization and its influence on workforce dynamics through the implementation of digital technologies into business processes resulting in the digitalization of work. It explores the key drivers of digitalization, the progressive transformation of work from mechanization to digitalization within the context of industrial revolutions, and the effects of digitalization on employees, including job satisfaction, work-life balance, and worker autonomy. Chapter 2 | The second chapter delves into the historical development process of artificial intelligence, types of artificial intelligence according to their capabilities and functionalities, and various artificial intelligence technologies. It provides examples of artificial intelligence applications in different sectors. Chapter 3 | The third chapter explores hybrid work and the different types of hybrid work models, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of hybrid work. It examines the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on hybrid work as well as the rise and future of hybrid work. Additionally, it highlights the hybridization of work through human-AI collaboration and provides real-world applications of human-AI collaboration. Chapter 4 | The fourth chapter provides a survey study conducted to gather insights into how hybrid workers perceive and experience the transformation of the business world driven by digitalization and artificial intelligence, and the obtained data was analyzed to reach results.