AI for efficiency: contractor insights across key global regions

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries and transform workforce dynamics, contingent workers provide valuable insights into this evolving landscape. The perspectives shared here are derived from CXC's 2024 Global Contingent Workforce Experience Survey Dynamics & Trends Report , offering a unique glimpse into how AI for efficiency is being adopted across diverse regions. For contractors on the frontlines of flexible employment, AI is not merely a trend but an essential tool driving productivity and enhancing work quality.

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This article explores contractors' perceptions from four key regions—Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America—highlighting how AI impacts efficiency in their roles, their engagement with AI reskilling, and the sectors where AI adoption is particularly influential.

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The perceived impact of AI for efficiency on jobs

The global adoption of AI varies significantly by region, with contractors showing different levels of engagement and adaptation:

Australia: Australian contractors report a generally positive view of AI’s impact, with 43% indicating that AI has enhanced their roles, particularly through productivity gains in finance, mining, and tech. Interestingly, 39.77% feel AI has had "no impact at all" on their roles, suggesting that while AI aids efficiency, it has not yet drastically altered job functions.

Asia: Contractors in Asia show high optimism regarding AI. Nearly half (47.06%) of surveyed contractors view AI as beneficial to their jobs, with 9.8% experiencing an "extremely positive" impact. This positivity reflects Asia’s rapid technology adoption across sectors like IT, manufacturing, and customer service, where AI drives growth and efficiency, augmenting roles rather than replacing them.

Europe: European contractors tend to be neutral, with 55% reporting "no impact at all" from AI on their roles, the highest across the regions. However, a noteworthy 36.67% acknowledge positive efficiency gains from AI, possibly due to the region’s regulatory and labour protections, which may moderate AI's disruptive potential while still allowing for productivity benefits in areas like manufacturing and healthcare.

North America: Contractors in North America display the most polarised views. While 44.74% report a "positive" impact, the region also shows the highest rate of "extremely positive" responses (16.45%) alongside the largest combined negative responses (22.37%). This divide may stem from North America’s wide-ranging AI adoption, with tech and finance sectors benefiting from efficiency gains, while automation-prone industries, such as transportation and customer service, experience challenges.

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Sectors where AI for efficiency is transforming roles

AI's role in streamlining tasks has profound implications across several industries, especially those dependent on repetitive or data-driven tasks:

Finance and accounting: In finance, AI efficiently handles tasks like transaction processing and financial analysis, making routine tasks faster and allowing professionals to focus on strategy. AI tools like robo-advisors and automated reporting enhance productivity, though contractors in advisory roles still play an important part in nuanced financial planning.

Legal services: AI's efficiency in data processing transforms legal tasks such as contract review, document drafting, and case research. Contractors in legal research and paralegal roles see routine work streamlined, while human lawyers remain essential for complex strategic and courtroom advocacy.

Marketing and advertising: AI-driven tools increase efficiency by automating tasks such as data analysis, content generation, and customer segmentation. Contractors in digital marketing and content strategy roles benefit as AI handles time-intensive data analytics and reporting, allowing them to focus on strategic campaign oversight and creative problem-solving.

Consulting and professional services: For consultants, AI enhances efficiency by gathering and analysing data, generating insights, and providing data-backed recommendations. While routine tasks like report generation can be automated, contractors retain a crucial role in applying AI-driven insights to client-specific strategies.

Human resources and recruitment: AI tools streamline HR functions, particularly in recruitment, where AI-powered systems evaluate candidates and manage initial screenings. Contractors in recruitment benefit as AI handles initial stages, freeing them to focus on relationship-building and tailored hiring decisions.

Journalism and content creation: AI in journalism automates the creation of data-driven news and reports, improving content production efficiency. Contractors in writing and editing benefit as AI handles formulaic tasks, allowing them to engage in high-level creative work, investigative journalism, and editorial projects that require human insight.

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How AI for efficiency enhances contractor roles

For many white-collar roles, AI for efficiency complements rather than replaces human workers, allowing contractors to refocus their efforts on high-value tasks:

Finance and investment analysts benefit as AI processes and analyses vast data sets quickly, providing insights on risks, patterns, and trends that aid strategic decision-making. AI’s efficiency in these areas frees professionals to focus on broader financial strategy.

Marketing professionals find AI invaluable in campaign optimisation, consumer analysis, and content generation. With AI’s support, they can concentrate on creative and high-level planning.

HR managers gain efficiency in recruitment and talent management with AI tools that manage preliminary tasks like candidate evaluation and performance tracking, freeing HR professionals to engage more deeply in relationship-building and team strategy.

Project managers use AI to improve workflow management through real-time progress tracking, scheduling, and resource allocation, enabling project leaders to focus on problem-solving and team collaboration.

Legal professionals find AI for efficiency essential for quick and accurate legal research, freeing them to concentrate on strategic case preparation and client advocacy.

Preparing for the future with AI for efficiency

AI is not about replacing roles but about enhancing them. For white-collar contractors, adopting AI for efficiency allows them to engage in strategic thinking and client relations—areas where human intuition remains irreplaceable. Roles that focus on creativity, interpersonal skills, and high-level problem-solving will continue to flourish as AI takes on routine, data-intensive tasks. By embracing AI as an efficiency tool, contractors can stay competitive in an AI-integrated workforce, positioning themselves to adapt and thrive as technology evolves.

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For more insights on AI’s role in enhancing workforce efficiency and detailed contractor perspectives from around the globe, download the full 2024 Global Contingent Workforce Experience Survey Dynamics & Trends Report .

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