The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is at the top of every current workplace trends list. While AI was once the stuff of science fiction, it has entered the realm of the everyday-real, with new AI workplace solutions serving to deepen the scope of human capability. As AI becomes engrained in everyday business operations, the future role of employees, and their needs, will see a dramatic shift. To respond to changing needs, the role of the workplace will continue to adapt, too, operating as a vital tool and driver for human success.
Deepening Human Capability
As we enter a new industrial age, also known as Industry 4.0, AI allows decision-makers to extract valuable insights from large amounts of data, keeping business on top of emerging trends. Alongside smart data mining, AI in the workplace also handles less exciting duties, automating repetitive tasks to save time and money. While increased AI automation in the workplace is taking over linear, time-consuming tasks, it allows human employees to spend more time on creative, varied functions.
AI chatbots, for example, are creating a more convenient customer experience while virtually eliminating wait times, freeing up employees to expend energy elsewhere. More than just taking over menial tasks, AI can also provide unparalleled computing power to analyze numbers and extract customers’ behavioral patterns in the blink of an eye, breaking down and translating tangled customer information — such as previous communications, geo-specific events, purchase behavior and other factors — into tangible, actionable results.
AI is now integrated across industries, from HR and recruiting, marketing and content, industrial and manufacturing automation, healthcare, education and finance. With increased productivity, cost savings, safety and innovation, our AI co-workers are creating a skill shift in the workplace, placing increased focus on social, emotional and higher cognitive skills such as creativity, critical thinking and complex information processing.
Enhancing the Customer Experience
In the face of this skillshift and a changing workplace ethos, the office matters more now than ever before. To promote nuanced thinking and learning, employees will require a human-centric workplace that enables creativity, idea-sharing and collaboration to thrive.
Across our three Chicago buildings — 300 North LaSalle, One North Wacker and 71 South Wacker — Irvine Company’s customer focus is forever adapting, ushering in this new era by cultivating a vibrant workplace community where connection and collaboration thrive. While AI takes care of other tasks, it will be these creative collisions that help drive the next innovation on the horizon.
