Work Activities (IWAs) - AI Applicability Analysis

Microsoft Research Study - Working with AI (2024)

Framework: ONET Intermediate Work Activities (IWAs) - work activities that apply across multiple occupations Total IWAs Analyzed: 332 from ONET 29.0 Database Coverage Threshold: Activity share ≥ 0.05% in Bing Copilot conversations

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Top 15 User Goals (What People Use AI For)

Rank	Work Activity	Activity Share	Category
1	Gather information from physical or electronic sources	~0.15	Learn
2	Maintain knowledge in area of expertise	~0.12	Learn
3	Obtain information about goods or services	~0.10	Learn
4	Read documents or materials	~0.08	Learn
5	Respond to customer problems or inquiries	~0.08	Communicate
6	Provide information or assistance to the public	~0.08	Communicate
7	Provide information to guests, clients, or customers	~0.07	Communicate
8	Explain technical details of products or services	~0.06	Teach/Explain
9	Explain regulations, policies, or procedures	~0.05	Teach/Explain
10	Develop news, entertainment, or artistic content	~0.05	Write
11	Edit written materials or documents	~0.04	Write
12	Write material for artistic or commercial purposes	~0.04	Write
13	Operate computers or computerized equipment	~0.04	Other
14	Create visual designs or displays	~0.03	Other
15	Evaluate characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products/technologies	~0.03	Other

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Top 15 AI Actions (What AI Does in Conversations)

Rank	Work Activity	Activity Share	Category
1	Gather information from physical or electronic sources	~0.15	Learn
2	Maintain knowledge in area of expertise	~0.12	Learn
3	Respond to customer problems or inquiries	~0.10	Communicate
4	Provide information or assistance to the public	~0.09	Communicate
5	Provide information to guests, clients, or customers	~0.08	Communicate
6	Present research or technical information	~0.06	Teach/Explain
7	Advise others on products or services	~0.06	Teach/Explain
8	Explain technical details of products or services	~0.06	Teach/Explain
9	Teach academic or vocational subjects	~0.05	Teach/Explain
10	Explain regulations, policies, or procedures	~0.05	Teach/Explain
11	Prepare informational or instructional materials	~0.04	Write
12	Develop news, entertainment, or artistic content	~0.04	Write
13	Assist others to access resources	~0.03	Other
14	Provide support or encouragement to others	~0.03	Other

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Highest Success Rate IWAs (Completion Rate × Scope)

Top 15 (User Goals)

Rank	Work Activity	Comp. Rate	Scope	Comp×Scope	Category
1	Obtain information about goods or services	0.92	0.75	0.69	Learn
2	Provide information to guests, clients, or customers	0.91	0.74	0.67	Communicate
3	Respond to customer problems or inquiries	0.90	0.73	0.66	Communicate
4	Provide information or assistance to the public	0.90	0.72	0.65	Communicate
5	Explain technical details of products or services	0.89	0.71	0.63	Teach/Explain
6	Explain medical information to patients/family	0.92	0.68	0.63	Teach/Explain
7	Explain regulations, policies, or procedures	0.89	0.70	0.62	Teach/Explain
8	Advise others on products or services	0.88	0.69	0.61	Teach/Explain
9	Explain financial information	0.87	0.65	0.57	Teach/Explain
10	Edit written materials or documents	0.86	0.65	0.56	Write
11	Prepare informational or instructional materials	0.85	0.64	0.54	Write
12	Write material for artistic or commercial purposes	0.84	0.63	0.53	Write
13	Implement procedures or processes	0.83	0.58	0.48	Other
14	Develop recipes or menus	0.82	0.52	0.43	Other
15	Interview people to obtain information	0.81	0.51	0.41	Learn

Bottom 15 (User Goals) - Lowest Success

Rank	Work Activity	Comp. Rate	Scope	Comp×Scope	Category
318	Perform athletic activities for fitness/competition	0.45	0.15	0.07	Other
319	Analyze data using mathematics	0.48	0.14	0.07	Other
320	Verify personal information	0.44	0.14	0.06	Other
321	Arrange displays or decorations	0.46	0.13	0.06	Other
322	Design materials or devices	0.45	0.12	0.05	Other
323	Apply decorative finishes	0.43	0.11	0.05	Other
324	Create artistic designs or performances	0.42	0.11	0.05	Other
325	Create decorative objects or parts of objects	0.41	0.10	0.04	Other
326	Create visual designs or displays	0.40	0.09	0.04	Other

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Activities by Success Metric

Highest Completion Rate (>90%)

User Goals:

• Advise patients or clients on medical issues (0.95)
• Explain medical information to patients/family (0.92)
• Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance (0.92)
• Care for plants or animals (0.92)
• Set up equipment (0.92)
• Obtain information about goods or services (0.92)

AI Actions:

• Provide information to guests, clients, customers (0.93)
• Respond to customer problems or inquiries (0.92)
• Maintain knowledge in area of expertise (0.91)
• Explain technical details of products or services (0.90)

Lowest Completion Rate (<50%)

User Goals:

• Create visual designs or displays (0.40)
• Create decorative objects (0.41)
• Create artistic designs or performances (0.42)
• Apply decorative finishes (0.43)
• Verify personal information (0.44)

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Highest Scope (Moderate+ Capability Share)

User Goals - Top 15

Work Activity	Moderate+ %	Category
Provide information to guests, clients, or customers	82%	Communicate
Provide information or assistance to the public	81%	Communicate
Respond to customer problems or inquiries	80%	Communicate
Explain technical details of products or services	79%	Teach/Explain
Present research or technical information	76%	Teach/Explain
Obtain information about goods or services	75%	Learn
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures	74%	Teach/Explain
Advise others on products or services	73%	Teach/Explain
Explain medical information to patients/family	72%	Teach/Explain
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes	70%	Write
Edit written materials or documents	68%	Write
Explain financial information	67%	Teach/Explain
Prepare informational or instructional materials	66%	Write
Gather information from physical or electronic sources	65%	Learn
Implement procedures or processes	64%	Other

User Goals - Bottom 15 (Lowest Scope)

Work Activity	Moderate+ %	Category
Verify personal information	8%	Other
Purchase goods or services	9%	Other
Create decorative objects	10%	Other
Consult legal materials or public records	11%	Learn
Create visual designs or displays	12%	Other
Design materials or devices	13%	Other
Maintain safety or security	14%	Other
Coordinate with others to resolve problems	15%	Other
Create artistic designs or performances	16%	Other
Confer with clients to determine needs	17%	Communicate

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Generalized Work Activities (GWAs) - Category Level

Most Frequent in Copilot (User Goals)

GWA Category	Workforce %	User Goal %	AI Action %	Pattern
Getting Information	~8%	~25%	~20%	3x overrepresented
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	~12%	~18%	~15%	1.5x overrepresented
Communicating with External People	~6%	~15%	~18%	2.5-3x overrepresented
Interpreting Information for Others	~4%	~12%	~14%	3-3.5x overrepresented
Providing Consultation and Advice	~5%	~10%	~12%	2-2.5x overrepresented
Working with Computers	~8%	~9%	~8%	Proportional
Analyzing Data or Information	~7%	~8%	~7%	Proportional
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	~10%	~7%	~6%	Underrepresented
Documenting/Recording Information	~8%	~6%	~5%	Underrepresented

Information Work GWAs

Activities involving creation, processing, communication of information

High AI Applicability:

1. Getting Information
2. Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
3. Communicating with External People
4. Work with the Public
5. Communicating with Internal People
6. Interpreting Information for Others
7. Providing Consultation and Advice
8. Coach/Develop Others
9. Train/Teach Others
10. Document/Record Information
11. Assist/Care for Others
12. Think Creatively
13. Make Decisions, Solve Problems
14. Work with Computers
15. Analyze Data or Information
16. Process Information

Lower AI Applicability:

• Operating Vehicles/Mechanical Equipment
• Control Machines and Processes
• Repair/Maintain Mechanical Equipment
• Perform General Physical Activities
• Handle and Move Objects
• Inspect Equipment/Structures/Materials

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Activities More Often Assisted vs Performed

Much More Often in User Goals (Assisted by AI)

Activity	User:AI Ratio	Pattern
Purchase goods or services	118.4x	Users shop, AI doesn't
Execute financial transactions	58.8x	Users transact, AI advises
Perform athletic activities	47.3x	Physical activity
Obtain information about goods/services	25.9x	Users research
Research healthcare issues	20.5x	Personal health queries
Prepare foods or beverages	14.7x	Cooking/recipes
Research technology designs	13.5x	Technical research
Obtain formal documentation	12.5x	Administrative tasks
Operate office equipment	11.4x	Equipment operation
Investigate incidents or accidents	11.3x	Incident investigation

Much More Often in AI Actions (Performed by AI)

Activity	AI:User Ratio	Pattern
Train others on operational procedures	17.9x	AI teaches processes
Train others to use equipment/products	16.0x	Tutorial/instruction
Distribute materials, supplies, resources	11.2x	Information distribution
Train others on health/medical topics	11.2x	Health education
Provide general assistance to others	10.9x	Support role
Coach others	10.6x	Coaching/mentoring
Provide information to guests/clients	8.6x	Customer service
Advise on workplace health/safety	7.5x	Safety guidance
Teach academic or vocational subjects	6.6x	Teaching
Teach safety procedures or standards	6.5x	Safety training

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Work Activities by Positive Feedback Share

Highest Positive Feedback (User Goals)

Activity	Positive %	Success Factor
Research healthcare issues	87%	High relevance + good results
Interpret language, cultural, religious info	86%	Translation/cultural tasks
Purchase goods or services	85%	Shopping assistance
Provide support or encouragement	84%	Emotional support
Research laws, precedents, legal data	83%	Legal research
Plan work activities	82%	Planning assistance
Evaluate characteristics of products/technologies	82%	Product evaluation
Select materials or equipment	81%	Selection guidance
Edit written materials or documents	81%	Editing quality
Assess characteristics of regulations/policies	80%	Policy analysis

Lowest Positive Feedback (User Goals)

Activity	Positive %	Challenge Factor
Create visual designs or displays	52%	Limited visual capabilities
Create decorative objects	54%	Physical creation
Create artistic designs or performances	56%	Creative generation quality
Apply decorative finishes	57%	Physical application
Design materials or devices	58%	Complex design work
Arrange displays or decorations	59%	Spatial/visual tasks
Analyze scientific data using mathematics	60%	Mathematical analysis accuracy
Calculate financial data	62%	Numerical accuracy concerns
Communicate about specifications	63%	Technical precision
Confer with clients to determine needs	64%	Client interaction nuance

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Category Analysis

LEARN Activities (Information Gathering)

Common User Goals:

• Gather information from sources (highest frequency)
• Maintain knowledge in expertise area
• Obtain information about goods/services
• Read documents or materials
• Research historical or social issues

Success Pattern: High success when information is publicly available; lower for proprietary/personal data

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COMMUNICATE Activities (Information Exchange)

Common User Goals:

• Respond to customer problems/inquiries
• Provide information to public/customers
• Explain technical details
• Communicate with others about specifications

Success Pattern: Very high success rates (85-92%) - core AI strength

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TEACH/EXPLAIN Activities (Knowledge Transfer)

Common User Goals:

• Explain regulations, policies, procedures
• Explain technical product details
• Advise others on products/services
• Present research or technical information

AI Actions (Very Common):

• Teach academic or vocational subjects
• Train others on equipment/products
• Train on operational procedures
• Coach others

Success Pattern: Highest success rates (85-93%) - AI's primary role

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WRITE Activities (Content Creation)

Common User Goals:

• Write artistic or commercial material
• Edit written materials/documents
• Develop news, entertainment, artistic content
• Prepare informational/instructional materials

Success Pattern: High success (80-86%) for text-based tasks; lower for creative/visual

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OTHER Activities

Lower Success Areas:

• Visual design and creative imagery (<50% completion)
• Data analysis and mathematical calculations (60-65% completion)
• Physical activities (rarely applicable)
• Verification and authentication tasks (limited capability)

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Success Factors Analysis

What Makes Activities Successful?

High Success Characteristics:

1. Text-based information work
2. Publicly available knowledge domains
3. Standardized communication patterns
4. Explanatory rather than creative
5. Broad scope across the activity
6. Non-physical execution

Low Success Characteristics:

1. Visual/spatial requirements
2. Proprietary/personal information needs
3. Highly creative or artistic
4. Mathematical precision critical
5. Physical presence required
6. Authentication/verification needed

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Correlation Analysis

Scope vs Usage Frequency

• User Goals: r = 0.64 (strong positive)
• AI Actions: r = 0.54 (moderate positive)
• Interpretation: Users have discovered where AI works best

Completion vs Thumbs Feedback

• User Goals: r = 0.827 (very strong)
• AI Actions: r = 0.758 (strong)
• Interpretation: Completion classifier validates user satisfaction

Scope vs Completion

• User Goals: r = 0.447 (moderate)
• AI Actions: r = 0.224 (weak)
• Interpretation: Different dimensions - scope measures breadth, completion measures success

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Key Insights

Information Work Centrality

• 6 of top 10 user goals are information work activities
• 8 of top 10 AI actions are information/teaching activities
• GWAs for information work 2-3x overrepresented vs workforce baseline

AI as Teacher/Advisor

• AI primarily plays service/support role
• "Provide," "Explain," "Teach," "Assist," "Respond" dominate AI actions
• Majority of AI activity devoted to communicating and teaching information

Asymmetry Pattern

• 40% of conversations have disjoint user goal/AI action IWA sets
• 96% have more unique IWAs per side than in common
• Average 2:1 ratio of AI actions to user goals
• Interpretation: AI performs multiple support activities per user request

Activity Success Hierarchy

1. Tier 1 (Excellent): Communicate, Teach/Explain
2. Tier 2 (Good): Write, Learn, Research
3. Tier 3 (Moderate): Analyze, Plan, Evaluate
4. Tier 4 (Poor): Visual Design, Physical Tasks, Authentication

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Limitations & Caveats

Measurement Limitations:

1. Completion/scope don't measure productivity impact
2. IWAs have different meanings in different occupational contexts
3. "Provide general assistance" means different things for passenger attendant vs Copilot

Data Limitations:

1. Single AI platform (Bing Copilot) - consumer-focused
2. Doesn't capture specialized AI tools or enterprise applications
3. US-centric via O*NET framework
4. May reflect consumer use patterns more than workplace use

Classification Challenges:

1. Multiple IWAs per conversation (average 3 user, 6 AI)
2. Subjective boundaries between activities
3. Human annotator agreement moderate (κ = 0.41-0.58)
4. LLM classifier agreement with humans slightly lower

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Study Metadata

O*NET Framework:

• 332 Total Intermediate Work Activities (IWAs)
• IWAs map to multiple occupations through tasks
• Activities grouped into 37 Generalized Work Activities (GWAs)
• Hierarchical structure: GWA → IWA → Task → Occupation

Coverage Definition:

• Activity share ≥ 0.05% in Copilot conversations
• 127 IWAs covered as user goals (38% of total)
• 87 IWAs covered as AI actions (26% of total)

Success Metrics:

• Completion: GPT-4o-mini classification of task completion
• Scope: 6-point ordinal scale (none → complete) of capability breadth
• Feedback: User thumbs up/down (100k conversation subsample)

Citation: Tomlinson, K., Jaffe, S., Wang, W., Counts, S., & Suri, S. (2025). Working with AI: Measuring the Applicability of Generative AI to Occupations. Microsoft Research.