With the world shutting down for over a year, technologies such as Zoom and Slack helped everyone stay productive while working from home. While the pandemic has had many negative outcomes, the bright side is it forced tech inventors to revolutionize the workplace. Innovation helped the world to keep moving. So, how is the modern workplace changing? Future work trends include virtual reality workrooms, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity updates.
1. Facebook virtual reality workrooms
Some employers are allowing staff to continue working from home, so Zoom meetings aren’t going anywhere. But Zoom meetings aren’t the same as face-to-face interaction, and many employers want to rebuild employee engagement. Facebook hopes to change that with Horizon Workrooms. If you have Facebook’s headset Oculus Quest 2, you can partake in virtual workrooms with coworkers, whether you’re showing a presentation or just having a conversation. Facebook said the technology uses “features like a mixed-reality desk and keyboard tracking, hand tracking, remote desktop streaming, video conferencing integration, spatial audio, and the new Oculus Avatars.” If you want to stay at home but interact in a virtual workplace with lifelike avatars, then you may want to try Horizon Workrooms. The service is free, but you need the Oculus Quest 2 headset, which starts at around $300.
2. Artificial intelligence (robots!)
When most people think of future work trends, they get nervous about artificial intelligence. We wonder, “What if I lose my job to a robot?” This fear may come true for some entry-level jobs. For example, the HR field uses chatbots to help with training activities and even AI customer service. This technology has also been used to assess job applicants on their skills and behaviors. AI can help offices work smarter, not harder, freeing employees from mundane tasks.
But mostly, robots are mostly doing jobs that are dangerous for humans. For example, huge milk tanks need to be inspected for cracks hiding dangerous bacteria like E. Coli. While this can be a dangerous job for humans, inspectors can study these tanks through the robot’s eyes from a safe distance and with great visual accuracy. AI alleviates the dangers of some jobs, but they’re not after most desk jobs just yet.
3. Zero trust security
Cybersecurity is a necessary future work trend. Remote workers have to access their employers’ secure systems remotely, which can provide a way for hackers to access the systems, too. As a result, security systems are changing. For example, cybersecurity experts are advocating for the security concept known as zero trust. Most security systems currently assume everyone “inside” the system can be trusted, allowing hackers to move freely through a company’s system once they have access. But the zero trust concept is that all people, whether inside or out, should not be trusted, and the system should validate each person. With trillions of dollars (predicted to be $6 trillion by 2021) lost every year due to cybercrimes, cybersecurity experts believe this is the only way forward for a remote workforce.
The future of work is bright and complicated and who knows what’s coming next. If you want to learn more about VR, check this out.