What Will Shift Knowledge Workers from 80% Data Prep to 80% Strategic Thinking?

Knowledge workers hired for their expertise remain trapped as "data janitors," spending 60-80% of their time wrangling spreadsheets instead of driving innovation. Despite billions invested in AI tools, this paradox persists: technology meant to free workers from tedious tasks often adds complexity rather than eliminating it. Three fundamental shifts in AI deployment can break this cycle—designing for trust, deploying autonomous agents, and measuring outcomes rather than adoption.