As the debate of remote vs. office work continues, I've been reflecting on how that COVID-19 changed the workplace like no other event in history. We went from the default being in the office, usually in open-plan, modern spaces, as table stakes to attract and retain great talent. But with COVID, and post-COVID work, the default expectation has been to work from home… at least for some.
The Great Divide in Work Preferences
We've all observed the split…
There's the group who have welcomed and embraced working from home, including parents, introverts, the neurodivergent, or simply those who took a tree change.
Then, there are those who benefit from the direct engagement and long for human connection — preferring the office environment.
In an employee survey last year we saw an almost even split in preference for remote vs. office work. Needless to say, it's been an ongoing battle for leaders trying to find balance (vs. dictatorship).
The AI Revolution in Communication
With the advent of AI and its rapid deployment into our everyday lives, I've been thinking about the next level of abstraction in connection we're about to see.
We're one generation of phone operating system away from AI auto-generating responses to messages and summarizing incoming messages. This development is essentially abstracting our connections even further.
A Glimpse into the AI-Mediated Future
Imagine this scenario:
I speak a message to my phone
It uses AI to take my points and writes a new message based on
my preferred tone and my relationship and history with the
recipient
Their phone receives the message
Their AI summarises the message into core points and recites it
to the listener
Did we even engage?
Now imagine this in youth, where we learn the art of communicating, or in dating, where we'll never really know if they are a movie buff? (or did the AI just suggest a relevant quote for them to drop into the conversation?)
The Impact on Different Groups
For some, this AI-mediated communication might be a welcomed respite, giving permission to carefully curate their environment. Others will find it creates even further distance from real connection.
Conclusion: The Dawn of True Social Distancing
I believe we're only seeing the start of what real social distancing looks like. As AI continues to evolve and integrate into our communication tools, we may find ourselves more connected than ever on a superficial level, yet potentially more isolated in terms of genuine human interaction.
We're not just talking about touch, but honest and raw conversation.
This new era of AI-driven social distancing presents both opportunities and challenges. It's up to us to navigate this changing landscape and find ways to maintain meaningful connections in an increasingly AI-mediated world.
Are you prepared for a world where our devices do the talking
for us?
And if, like me, you get energy from direct human engagement,
where will you look for connection?