Standing Meeting – IT & Automation | Friday, September 26 2026.

1. Why do AI and Automation matter?

IT opened with a few figures from recent studies (2025-2026):

• 5.4%: according to the Fed St. Louis (2025), AI saves 5.4% of work hours per week, about 2.2 hours.
• 3.6 hours/week: according to Dillon et al. (2025), time spent handling email drops by 3.6 hours a week (about 31%).
• 29.4%: according to Metrigy (2025-2026), productivity rises by 29.4%, equal to about 11.8 hours freed up per week.

These studies measured different groups, so the numbers vary quite a bit, but they all point the same way: AI and Automation significantly cut the time we spend on repetitive work. The message of this section: Automation replaces repetitive tasks, not people.

2. AI and Automation for both Tech and Non-tech teams

The second slide stressed that AI is a “shared playing field” where anyone can start.

For the Tech team: AI and Automation speed up and optimize everyday work, for example:

• Automating workflows and integrating systems (RPA, scripts, APIs).
• Processing large datasets and fast reconciliation.
• Building chatbots and internal tools.

For the Non-tech team: easy to use and easy to apply right away, for example:

• Using an AI assistant to draft emails, reports, and document summaries.
• Using no-code/low-code tools to automate Excel, forms, and reminders.
• Using an internal chatbot to quickly look up processes and policies.

Quick example: using ChatGPT or Copilot to draft a report in 4 steps: request → draft → edit → finalize. AI handles the first draft, and you handle the checking and the final decision.

3. Time saved: what is it used for?

This was the part I found most worth thinking about. The slide suggested three ways to reinvest the time you save:

• Deeper analysis: interpreting data and spotting issues.
• Learning and improving: picking up new AI tools and automating even more.
• Supporting teammates: sharing more effective ways of working.

It also cited a survey by Stanford, George Mason, and Clemson (6/2025): processing time per task drops from 90 minutes to 30 minutes, at least 1 hour is saved per task, and productivity can increase up to 3x across many tasks.

4. A view from China: AI in everyday life

CM’s sharing showed that in China, AI is no longer a distant technology but part of daily habits. Some common examples:

• QR code payments almost everywhere, from restaurants to street stalls.
• Food ordering, delivery, and ride-hailing apps that use AI to optimize routes and timing.
• Robots and automated systems in restaurants, hotels, and warehouses.
• AI assistants built into familiar apps, so users ask and get answers right away.

What’s worth learning is not the specific technology but the mindset: they use AI where it makes life faster and more convenient, and ordinary users can use it right away without understanding the technical side.

5. Conclusion

The meeting closed with a clear message: Automation doesn’t take work away. It gives time back so people can reduce repetitive work.

The accompanying direction: don’t just automate to save time, but use that time to create new value.

So after the meeting, here is a small thing each of us can try:

1. Pick one repetitive task you do every week (drafting emails, compiling reports, data entry…).
2. Ask AI or an automation tool to help with it.
3. Always read and edit the result before using it.
4. Use the time you save to learn more, analyze more deeply, or help a teammate.

The meeting ended with the IMV slogan.