New research from Miro and Forrester has highlighted significant concerns among global business leaders regarding the rollout of artificial intelligence in the workplace. According to the findings, three-quarters believe that current AI tools are designed for individual tasks rather than for supporting effective teamwork. This approach is reportedly limiting collaboration and diminishing returns on AI investments.
Collaboration focus
The survey, which included over 500 business leaders from regions globally, shows a clear consensus on the need for collaboration. An overwhelming 89% said that improving collaboration and teamwork is essential for reaching organisational objectives, with 42% describing it as critical. Visual and canvas-based digital tools are central to this drive, with 79% noting an increase in their usage and 43% identifying these solutions as critical to daily workflows.
Impact on ROI
Leaders are reporting that the focus of AI technologies on individual productivity is affecting business outcomes. Some 39% stated that the individual emphasis of AI is already impacting the return on investment from these technologies. Tool proliferation, workflow disruption, and the creation of new technology silos are cited among the main challenges. In addition, 69% noted that switching between different work and AI tools causes friction and interrupts workflows.
Demand for team-based AI
The report found that 81% of business leaders are interested in AI solutions built on shared, canvas-based workspaces. The vast majority, 82%, want AI tools that enhance teamwork and collaboration. Interest is particularly high in AI features enabling context-rich prompting, allowing teams to collectively utilise all available information and materials during a project.
Skills and integration challenges
Along with tool complexity, keeping pace with rapid change remains an obstacle for many organisations. More than a third (36%) reported difficulty in keeping skills current, compounding the challenges of integrating new AI technologies into established workflows.
Optimism and benefits
Despite these complications, business leaders remain positive about the potential of AI. Over half said AI can improve customer experience and efficiency, while 49% expect increased revenue and 46% anticipate faster time to value. There is also confidence in AI's ability to support staff, with 54% predicting that employees will have more freedom to focus on strategic work, and 51% expecting further automation of repetitive or manual tasks.
"There is tremendous potential for AI to support collaboration. But in the AI revolution, teamwork has been left behind. To be truly effective, AI should operate where teams work: supporting collaboration in the flow of work, informing decisions with full team context, and driving towards results faster. Embedding AI where teamwork happens achieves more than just improving productivity, it enables team- and organisation-wide collaboration, innovation, and transformation," said Andrey Khusid, CEO and founder of Miro.
