Search Results for: technologies

UK Government grants Crown Estate new investment powers to drive growth

UK Government grants Crown Estate new investment powers to drive growth

by • News, Property, Technology

New powers enable the Crown Estate to invest up to £1.5 billion over the next 15 years in sectors such as clean energy, infrastructure, and digital technologiesThe UK government has introduced a new bill to update the Crown Estate Act of 1961 which will grant the Crown Estate new investment powers. Officials claim this will stimulate economic growth and increase returns for taxpayers. According to the government, these new powers enable the Crown Estate to invest up to £1.5 billion over the next 15 years in sectors such as clean energy, infrastructure, and digital technologies. (more…)

Will AI really lighten the load to reduce burnout and improve our wellbeing?

Will AI really lighten the load to reduce burnout and improve our wellbeing?

by • Comment, Wellbeing

The idea of AI being able to lift some of the daily administrative burden off employees is appealing as a measure against burnout. But will it work?When speaking to leaders about the integration of AI into their businesses, one positive repeated to me in every conversation is ‘AI will lighten the load’. Workplace wellbeing is a recognised priority, with most businesses and organisations seeking to minimise stress and burnout and, ultimately, reduce costly sickness absence. The idea of AI being able to lift some of the daily administrative burden off employees is appealing and it’s certainly a large part of the sales pitch of AI tech suppliers. But will it work? (more…)

We may think we are pretty aware of the effects of AI. But posterity may draw different conclusions

We may think we are pretty aware of the effects of AI. But posterity may draw different conclusions

by • AI, Comment, Wellbeing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world around us at breakneck speed, unlocking opportunities we could not have even imagined a few years ago. But with its potential comes an immense set of challenges. How we handle this transformation will define the future of our workplaces, economies, and societies. Recent events, including Trump’s revocation of Biden’s executive order addressing AI risks, Labour’s ambitious plans to integrate AI across the UK, and Facebook’s unsettling U-turn on content moderation, highlight the urgent need for businesses to take an ethical, informed, and responsible approach to AI adoption. (more…)

Being watched all the time, changes the way we see the world and other people

Being watched all the time, changes the way we see the world and other people

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

In an era where surveillance is an omnipresent part of daily life, researchers have discovered that being watched not only influences our behaviour but also alters fundamental aspects of human perceptioIn an era where surveillance is an omnipresent part of daily life, researchers have discovered that being watched not only influences our behaviour but also alters fundamental aspects of human perception. A new study published in Neuroscience of Consciousness has found that the mere awareness of being subject to surveillance enhances our ability to detect faces, even outside of conscious control. This breakthrough research sheds light on how surveillance impacts social cognition and has significant implications for public mental health and privacy debates. (more…)

Getting Zoom fatigue? Chances are you’re tired of looking at yourself

Getting Zoom fatigue? Chances are you’re tired of looking at yourself

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

New research suggests that excessive self-monitoring during virtual meetings leads to dissatisfaction with appearance and Zoom fatigueThe rise of virtual meetings has transformed workplace communication, offering flexibility and global connectivity. However, this shift has not come without challenges, particularly in the form of virtual meeting (VM) fatigue, commonly referred to as “Zoom fatigue.” A new study published in the journal PLOS One examines how facial appearance dissatisfaction, impression management behaviours, and VM fatigue contribute to the adoption—or rejection—of virtual meeting technologies in professional settings. (more…)

CIFF Guangzhou creates a new ecosystem of sustainable office and commercial space

CIFF Guangzhou creates a new ecosystem of sustainable office and commercial space

by • Company news

After the remarkable success of the March 2024 edition, CIFF Guangzhou is preparing to unveil an even more innovative chapter in March 2025, welcoming global furniture industry leaders to the Canton Fair ComplexAfter the remarkable success of the March 2024 edition, CIFF Guangzhou is preparing to unveil an even more innovative chapter in March 2025, welcoming global furniture industry leaders to the Canton Fair Complex, with the Office and Commercial Space sector poised to redefine workplace environments for the future. The timing of the 55th CIFF Guangzhou 2025 aligns perfectly with the global office furniture market’s exceptional growth, projected to reach $66.1 billion in 2024 and expand to $99.3 billion by 2029, driven by rapid economic growth, urbanization, and increasing renovation projects worldwide. (more…)

Most people are happy for AI to inform decisions about work, CIPD claims

Most people are happy for AI to inform decisions about work, CIPD claims

by • AI, News, Workplace

To coincide with National Productivity Week, a CIPD poll suggests that almost two thirds of people (63 percent) would trust artificial intelligence (AI) to inform - but not make - important decisions at workTo coincide with National Productivity Week, a CIPD poll suggests that almost two thirds of people (63 percent) would trust artificial intelligence (AI) to inform – but not make – important decisions at work. According to the poll of over 2,000 people, over a third (35 percent) wouldn’t trust AI to make important decisions at work, preferring to use human intelligence. Just 1 percent of respondents would trust AI to make important work decisions. (more…)

Older workers enduring a ‘silent workplace mental health crisis’

Older workers enduring a ‘silent workplace mental health crisis’

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll from workplace mental health provider Unmind claims to highlight significant generational, gender, and role-based divides in attitudes towards workplace mental health and emerging technologies like AIA new poll from workplace mental health provider Unmind claims to highlight significant generational, gender, and role-based divides in attitudes towards workplace mental health and emerging technologies like AI. The study of 2,500 employees across the UK reveals that older workers feel particularly excluded from conversations around mental health, with stigma proving the biggest barrier to accessing support among this demographic. (more…)

The constant craving to put numbers on working relationships

The constant craving to put numbers on working relationships

by • Features, Workplace design

The answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything is not 42, as you may have been led to believe. It’s 1/137 (or near enough). This is the greatest of the two dozen or so universal constants. According to current thinking, without the physical and quantum relationships it describes, the universe as we know it could not exist. (more…)

We still display status in office design, but in new and subtle ways

We still display status in office design, but in new and subtle ways

by • Comment, Workplace design

There was a time, not so long ago, that one of the most important factors to consider when designing an office was the corporate hierarchy. The office was once the  embodiment of the corporate structure. In Joanna Eley and Alexi Marmot’s 1995 book Understanding Offices, quite a lot of space is dedicated to the idea of the ‘space pyramid’, which means simply that the higher up the organisation you were, the more space you were allocated and the better your furniture and surroundings. Even then, the idea of office design as a signifier of dominance was starting to wear thin, as the authors acknowledge. Ostentatious displays of status were already seen as somewhat gauche, but they were to be fatally undermined by the technological advances to come.

(more…)

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

by • News, Technology

widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformationThe UK government is committed to modernising and becoming tech-first, but widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformation. While we are seeing steps to digitise, and the £2bn set aside to improve IT across the NHS is a good case in point, capital investment is only one part of the puzzle. As we look to the new year, we can expect the public sector to continue to face challenges in keeping pace with technology innovation, particularly in adopting AI and cloud solutions, combating talent gaps, and modernising workflows. (more…)

Artificial intelligence is coming for the jobs of bosses first

Artificial intelligence is coming for the jobs of bosses first

by • AI, News, Workplace

Two thirds of firms expect the 'benefits' from artificial intelligence in the next three years to come from cost savings through elimination of management rolesA new survey of 252 senior executives within dedicated IT and artificial intelligence functions enterprises by Verdantix, claims that more than half (53 percent) of businesses expect 10 percent of job roles to be replaced by AI agents over the next five years. And even more (62 percent) expect the benefits from AI projects in the next three years to come from cost savings through elimination of management roles, more so than through savings from the elimination of frontline worker roles. (more…)

«< 4 5 6 7 8 >»