In its New Work, New World 2026 report released January 15, Cognizant estimates that U.S. enterprises could unlock $4.5 trillion in labor productivity today through AI-assisted tasks. The study reassessed 18,000 tasks across 1,000 occupations in the O*NET database and found AI exposure expanding 9% annually—more than four times faster than the 2% pace projected in 2024. Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S highlighted that this rapid capital deployment into AI will reshape work processes but underscored that technology alone accounts for only half of the value equation.

The report’s average exposure score—the share of job tasks AI can assist or automate—now stands at 39%, versus a forecasted 30% for 2032. Legal roles jumped from 9% to 63%, education from 11% to 49%, and C-suite positions, including CEO duties, from 25% to 60%. Even manual sectors saw sharp gains: transportation roles rose from 6% to 25% and construction from 4% to 12%. These figures signal that AI is penetrating both knowledge work and manual labor at an accelerated rate, altering investment priorities across technology, training and change management.

While AI can automate a growing share of tasks, Cognizant warns that human expertise and adaptability are indispensable. The study found 32% of tasks remain non-automatable, down from 57% in 2023, and certain business operations and management responsibilities resist full automation—upwards of 40% in some cases. Cognizant’s analysis advocates for flexible operating models, continuous workforce learning and contextualized AI deployments to convert the $4.5 trillion potential into real returns. The firm’s Synapse skilling initiative, targeting two million individuals by 2030, exemplifies this dual focus on technology and talent development.