Decidr

We’re witnessing a major shift in the way work is done. Not in physical tasks like manufacturing and trades — those have been evolving since the industrial revolution — but in knowledge functions, the mental work that involves thinking, analysing and deciding.

With the rise of AI, these tasks are transitioning from being purely human to becoming digitised processes.

The shift from mental to digital knowledge work

Knowledge tasks are the jobs that aren’t automated, don’t have a defined process and usually require deeper thinking: problem solving, decision making, analysing data. These task types are normally delegated to individuals within an organisation.

But now we’re seeing a shift. AI is giving us the power to digitise these tasks, making them not just faster and cheaper, but also more precise and highly scalable.

When a task is digitised, it’s no longer dependent on human memory or the inconsistencies and biases of human judgement. Instead, it’s transformed into a process that can be repeated, refined and endlessly optimised.

Some examples of knowledge work that AI has already begun to enhance is the drafting of simple contracts or reviewing legal docs, personalising marketing communications, analysing data and summarising documents. The time spent on these functions can now be reduced by orders of magnitude AND constantly improved, achieving high accuracy and precision.

Aside from speed, AI also brings precision and consistency to the table. It doesn’t get tired or forget things. It performs its tasks with the same level of accuracy every single time.

The value of digitising knowledge tasks

The real value of this transition is that it frees up human experts (and their brain space) for more important things. Harvard Business Review refers to this as transferring the structured and repetitive parts of knowledge work to reduce cognitive overload.

When AI handles the repetitive, precision-driven parts of knowledge tasks, humans can focus on higher level thinking — strategising, innovating and creating. This isn’t just about automating what we already do — it’s about enhancing the way we do it.

AI’s ability to digitise these tasks also means that we can scale our operations in ways that weren’t possible before.

Imagine a company where most decisions and most processes are captured and optimised by AI.

This creates an operating system that is more efficient and cost effective because it's designed holistically. Entire organisations benefit from larger numbers of integrated workflows, seamlessly utilising information across the organisation, no longer waiting on individuals or teams in other areas of the business to “do their bit”, and allowing humans and AI to work together in ways that maximises the strengths of both.

AI’s role in organisational structures

Traditional organisational models were built around human capabilities — hierarchies that reflected the limitations and strengths of people.

Noah Harari believes that the ability of humans to organise themselves is a major contributing factor to why we've been able to achieve such impressive feats. I totally agree with this and see increasing demonstration of how AI will not only enhance this, but enable organisations to redefine human roles that are far more desirable and value creating.

We’re moving towards a model where the framework of the organisation itself is digitised, creating a system that’s more efficient and effective.

In this new model, AI doesn’t just support the organisation — it enhances it. By integrating AI into every level of the structure, we’re creating an environment where decisions are data driven, processes are optimised and the entire system operates at a higher level of efficiency and transparency.

In short, AI isn’t just a tool for automating tasks — it’s a catalyst for rethinking how we work, how we organise and how we create value in the modern world.