Date: July 27, 2026 Main source: OpenAI Link: https://openai.com/index/how-ai-is-expanding-what-people-do-at-work/
Summary
OpenAI analyzed more than 800,000 work messages from US ChatGPT users. The study found that 43.5% of messages tied to occupations dealt with tasks traditionally associated with another profession. The expansion is especially visible in small businesses, where fewer specialists are available. Marketing and engineering appear among the functions that spread most to other roles.
Why it matters
AI does not only automate existing tasks, it also reduces the need to pass work between departments. This favors small teams that can handle writing, analysis, technical support or research without hiring a whole function. The risk is turning generalist employees into bottlenecks if there are no processes and quality criteria.
Practical implications
- Agencies can sell expanded operating capacity, not just content generation.
- SOPs must define which tasks each role can absorb with AI and which still need specialists.
- Value will move toward people who can evaluate, integrate and verify results across several disciplines.