Search Results for: technology

Real estate sector showing resilience in spite of global volatility

Real estate sector showing resilience in spite of global volatility

Improving market fundamentals and a rise in available capital are helping the global real estate sector as a new cycle begins

Improving market fundamentals and a rise in available capital are helping the global real estate sector as a new cycle begins. Inflation and interest rates are becoming more stable. Property values also appear to be recovering from recent lows, and investment activity is returning in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. However, uncertainty linked to deglobalisation, geopolitical tensions and difficult economic conditions still poses a significant challenge for investors. This is according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate Global Outlook 2026 report from PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). (more…)

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

In the coming weeks it will be six years since the UK entered lockdown and working life changed overnight. While much has stabilised, the impact of the pandemic still shapes how people experience work, particularly when it comes to connection and belonging. Loneliness is widely recognised as a growing societal issue and government data shows that around a quarter of adults in Great Britain report feeling lonely at least some of the time, rising significantly among younger age groups. Hybrid working has not created this challenge but it has highlighted that for many people the workplace was a consistent source of social interaction. (more…)

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

It's too early to know what precise impact AI will have on jobs, writes Jo Sutherland. Fortunately for us, the future is still ours to shapeAs someone who works at the intersection of communications and responsible AI, I spend a lot of time thinking about how emerging technologies are explained, sold, feared, embraced and misunderstood. Nowhere is that more palpable than in conversations about AI and the future of work, where certainty is sometimes projected before it’s earned. Over the past few months alone, taking part in debates at both the Westminster Employment Forum and the University of Cambridge, I’ve been struck by just how wide the spectrum of opinion still is. Depending on who has the floor, AI is framed either as a magical productivity fix or an existential threat to jobs. The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. (more…)

The ROI of predictive property management with IoT sensors

The ROI of predictive property management with IoT sensors

It’s all well and good eulogising about the technological benefits of incorporating the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) within property management but do the numbers stack up?It’s all well and good eulogising about the technological benefits of incorporating the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) within property management but do the numbers stack up? What is the likely return on investment (ROI) of shifting from the existing reactive model to something distinctly more proactive and predictive? A recent six-month project at a retirement complex in the Scottish Borders might just shed some light on the viability, or otherwise, of the IoT revolution that’s well underway. (more…)

Rapid growth in number of proposed data centres raises huge concerns for UK climate targets

Rapid growth in number of proposed data centres raises huge concerns for UK climate targets

A sharp increase in the number of data centres needed to meet the demands of AI is prompting concerns about energy demandA sharp increase in the number of data centres needed to meet the demands of AI is prompting concerns about energy demand and the potential impact on UK climate commitments, according to a report by The Times [paywall]. According to the newspaper, Ofgem, the energy regulator, has received connection enquiries for around 140 new data centre projects. Together, they are seeking approximately 50 gigawatts of electricity capacity, a figure that exceeds Britain’s entire recent peak electricity demand of about 45 gigawatts. The scale of the requests has raised questions about whether existing infrastructure planning and carbon reduction pathways are aligned with the speed of digital expansion. (more…)

AI adoption exposes generational divide in management, research finds

AI adoption exposes generational divide in management, research finds

KEDGE Business School has published new research suggesting that artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping management practice, but that a strong generational divide is emergingKEDGE Business School has published new research suggesting that artificial intelligence is already reshaping management practice, but that a strong generational divide is emerging in how leaders use the technology. The findings come from an OpinionWay survey carried out in October 2025 among managers, and point to younger leaders adopting AI at a significantly faster pace than their older counterparts. While AI tools such as ChatGPT are now widely used across the profession, the study suggests that managers under 40 are far more likely to integrate AI into day-to-day leadership decisions, while older managers remain more cautious and selective. (more…)

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settledA new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)

Senior leaders identified as highest AI risk in UK organisations, study claims

Senior leaders identified as highest AI risk in UK organisations, study claims

Senior leaders are emerging as the highest-risk users of artificial intelligence in UK organisations, according to new researchSenior leaders are emerging as the highest-risk users of artificial intelligence in UK organisations, according to new research which suggests AI-related business failures are being driven more by leadership behaviour than by technology or junior staff. (more…)

AI isn’t turning robots into humans, it’s turning humans into robots.

AI isn’t turning robots into humans, it’s turning humans into robots.

in amongst all the noise, I’m paying less attention to how AI is seemingly becoming more human, and more attention to how we are using AI to become robot-like.In all the conversations, debates and shouting matches about AI that continue to dominate the internet, there is much talk about the insidious danger of anthropomorphising AI. There is something chilling about the deliberate stumbles, inflections and hesitations that are put into AI communications, to try and convince people that they are talking to a sentient being. Explanations of AI deliberately use language such as ‘the model understands’ to make us believe that AI is developing a human level of learning, as that is more appealing than saying ‘the algorithm predictions are expanding’ (and neatly glosses over the increasing error rates and hallucinations). However, in amongst all the noise, I’m paying less attention to how AI is seemingly becoming more human, and more attention to how we are using AI to become robot-like. (more…)

Workspace Design Show London unveils “Connected Realities” installations

Workspace Design Show London unveils “Connected Realities” installations

Workspace Design Show (25–26 February 2026, Business Design Centre, London) returns with a series of immersive installations that bring the show’s 2026 theme, Connected Realities, to lifeWorkspace Design Show (25–26 February 2026, Business Design Centre, London) returns with a series of immersive installations that bring the show’s 2026 theme, Connected Realities, to life. Designed by leading architecture and workplace design studios, these installations explore how physical environments, digital systems, material innovation and human experience are becoming increasingly interconnected in the modern workplace. Together, the installations form a journey across the show floor, inviting visitors to pause, interact, reflect and reimagine how workplaces are designed, experienced and sustained. (more…)

Surface Design Show announces details of speaker’s programme

Surface Design Show announces details of speaker’s programme

The Surface Design Show has announced the final details of its speaker’s programme for the 2026 edition of the show.The Surface Design Show has announced the final details of its speaker’s programme for the 2026 edition of the show. Featuring a range of topics with some of the most innovative voices in industry, the schedule includes an impressive list of industry names including Michelle Ogundehin, Katie Treggiden, Liz Bell, Tim Gledstone, Giles Miller and Justine Fox.  The main stage is designed by Design Command using acoustic surfaces, soft textures and gentle light, with furniture supplied by Table Place Chairs. The design treats silence not as absence but as an active design language, exploring how materials can shape space while creating a pause for visitors to reflect and feel inspired amid the show. The programme will consist of 21 presentations from over 50 speakers spanning the full breadth of the design industry. (more…)

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations.Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations. Research by Morgan Stanley, based on responses from nearly 1,000 companies that have been using AI for at least a year, suggests that British firms have shed more roles than they have created as a direct result of AI deployment. The study indicates a net reduction of around 8 percent of roles in the UK over the past twelve months, a higher figure than reported in comparable surveys of companies in the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia. (more…)