August 14, 2023
Following on from its successful launch last year, the Sustainable Design China Summit returns for 2023. The event, an evolution of Design China Beijing, is held at the Beijing Exhibition Center from 21-23 September 2023 and is a must-visit for designers, architects, developers, and decision makers looking to design a sustainable future. More →
August 14, 2023
A new study from IBM claims that while employees rank meaningful work as something they care about deeply, executives say it’s the least important factor to their teams. The study, Augmented work for an automated, AI-driven world surveyed 3,000 global C-Suite executives across 20 industries and 28 countries. It also suggests that executives in the UK estimate that 41 percent of their workforce will need to reskill as a result of implementing AI and automation over the next three years. More →
August 10, 2023
Zoom has opened a new London ‘Engagement Hub’ which the firm claims will spearhead the shift from traditional office spaces to ‘experiential working hubs’. With the demand for hybrid working and remote capabilities giving rise to unconventional ways of operating, Zoom says it has designed its new office to support the changing nature of the employee experience, marking a new era of modern work. More →
August 2, 2023
JLL has announced the launch of JLL GPT, which it claims is the first large language model purpose-built for the commercial real estate sector. Developed by JLL Technologies, the firm claims the bespoke generative artificial intelligence (AI) model will be used by its 100,000 plus workforce around the world to provide CRE insights to clients in what it believes will be a whole new way. JLL’s extensive in-house data will be supplemented with external CRE sources, and the company plans to offer made-to-order solutions to clients later this year. More →
July 26, 2023
A new survey commissioned by Tech.co claims that 68 percent of business leaders think it’s unethical for employees to use AI at work without the permission of a manager. The firms believes that the rise of generative AI tools has emphasised the need for complex ethical AI frameworks to govern its application in the workplace. Without these ethical frameworks, the technology risks threatening human roles and intellectual property in morally dubious and potentially harmful ways. More →
July 25, 2023
It is now a truism to suggest that the traditional ways we think about office design need to be rethought in response to the new and emerging challenges businesses now face. Most people accept this but are still trying to work out the implications for the way we design and manage the physical workplace. The office needs to tell a new story. And one way to structure this narrative this is to borrow ideas from the movie screenwriting process. More →
July 20, 2023
So-called ‘digital gurus’ from the private sector will be ‘parachuted’ into government departments as part of radical plans to ‘turbocharge’ the technological skills of civil servants, Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin has announced. Delivering a speech at the think tank Policy Exchange, Minister Quin set out a number of measures which he claims will drive forward the government’s plans to harness innovation and technology including AI to make Whitehall run more efficiently.
July 20, 2023
The UK Government’s Work and Pensions Committee has called for more employment support to address economic inactivity. The support for helping people into work should be widened to those not on benefits, with a new scheme developed to encourage people to set up their own businesses and move into self-employment. The Committee has also called for more focus to be given to measures to help young people, the over 50s and people with disabilities and long-term health conditions find and stay in work. More →
July 18, 2023
The swift rise of generative artificial intelligence and its potential impact in the workplace puts people professionals at the heart of understanding how this fast-evolving technology can be responsibly used, and the business impact it may have, according to the CIPD. To support this change, the trade body has launched a new guide, Preparing your Organisation for AI Use, which stresses the importance of people professionals creating clear policies on the use of easily accessible, web-based generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard. More →
July 14, 2023
The decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. More →
July 14, 2023
The Government’s plan to transform the UK into a science and technology superpower will fail to boost living standards unless it’s linked to a broader industrial strategy aimed at raising productivity across all sectors of the economy. This is the central conclusion of a new CIPD discussion paper, An industrial strategy for the everyday economy, which says a bolder vision for economic growth, looking across all sectors and areas of the economy, is needed considering the multiple challenges facing the UK. More →
July 27, 2023
What Aldous Huxley can teach us about acoustics and distractions at work
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology, Workplace design