Beyond automation: How IT professionals utilize the invisible AI arm?

Area of Science:

• Information Technology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing task optimization, especially in the IT sector.
• Understanding AI adoption by IT professionals is key for establishing best practices.
• AI integration impacts daily workflows and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how IT professionals utilize AI tools in their daily work.
• To identify common AI applications and preferred tools within the IT sector.
• To provide insights for optimizing AI training and support.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed.
• Two in-depth interviews were conducted with AI-using IT professionals.
• A survey of 50 IT professionals in North Macedonia was administered.

Main Results:

• AI is integrated across various IT tasks, notably in coding assistance and technical documentation.
• ChatGPT is the most preferred AI tool, frequently used for documentation and coding.
• Many IT managers reported daily use of AI tools, indicating deep workflow integration.

Conclusions:

• IT professionals are embedding AI tools like ChatGPT into their workflows beyond simple automation.
• Findings offer practical guidance for task planning, AI training, and supporting employee productivity and well-being.
• The study highlights the evolving role of AI in modern IT practices.