A touch of Minority Report, or Black Mirror... When it comes to projecting ourselves forward to 2050 and discussing what the office of the future might be like, IWG has drawn somewhat from the realm of science fiction. Even though the workspace specialist is basing this on very concrete technologies, which could therefore indeed push open the door of the office, or even settle in comfortably and permanently.
To anchor this projection in reality, IWG surveyed the key stakeholders: 2,000 professionals divided equally between HR managers and employees. And both categories of respondents agree on at least one point: workplace technology will be unrecognisable "by 2050. A view shared by 68% of HR managers and 72% of employees."
What can we expect from this coming revolution over the next quarter of a century? Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence will have further cemented its status as an indispensable force. More than 70% of those surveyed believe that AI and automation will redefine the majority of office roles. Furthermore, two-thirds of professionals believe that AI will determine the best time and place to collaborate.
A place that should be plural according to IWG, whose report bets on a vast decentralisation movement. For two-thirds of respondents, strict policies imposing a return to the office should have disappeared by 2050. The study evokes a professional future based on a "network of places" replacing a single central office. Nearly 70% of HR managers say that work will take place across several different locations, a figure that rises to 75% among employees. 64% of employees expect hybrid working to become the standard model, compared with 78% of HR managers » the study clarifies.
A human-technology integration deeper than ever before
But the study "IWG's Work Reimagined: The Office of 2050" looks further ahead, more connectedly, via a new "human-technology integration". According to its authors, Neurotechnologies, already being developed by companies such as Synchron or Elon Musk's Neuralink, are moving closer to concrete applications. Intelligent systems are also expected to automate complex workflows, personalise environments and significantly speed up decision-making. ". Thus, although this prediction is less widely accepted than others, neural implants—which create a direct link between the human brain and external devices—are cited by 33% of HR managers and 26% of employees as the key emerging technology to watch out for.
Furthermore, 70% of HR managers worldwide and 69% of employees believe that virtual and augmented reality will replace many traditional office interactions, particularly face-to-face meetings.
The advent of a new immersive office holds great promise. Examples include lighting and working conditions that automatically adapt to each individual’s biological rhythm (28 %), systems capable of detecting fatigue and recommending breaks or rest (30 %), or even fully interactive workspaces connected to the cloud, where walls will become digital touchscreens (24 %). Intuitive, some might say; intrusive, for others…
Ultimately, employees should benefit from these (r)evolutions, particularly in terms of well-being. IWG promises an end to long daily commutes and the traditional 9-to-5 workday. This is a view shared by 7 out of 10 respondents. Furthermore, offices should expand to include family-friendly spaces, with on-site childcare facilities.
For Mark Dixon, CEO and founder of IWG, " Technology has always shaped how we work. What’s changing today is the speed at which this transformation is happening. Advances in AI are accelerating the world of work at a pace that most organisations and individuals are still struggling to get to grips with. ".
