Artificial intelligence has been named as the most influential office innovation by global CEOs in a landmark report, IWG: 300 Years of Office Innovation, to mark the 300th anniversary of the modern office.
It is followed closely by laptops and video calling, as technology continues to transform the office.
The report, commissioned by International Workplace Group (IWG) to celebrate 300 years since the world’s first purpose-built office – the Old Admiralty Building, which opened in London in 1726 to support the rapid expansion of British naval global business and the civil service – surveyed business leaders about how the modern workplace has evolved. Other iconic purpose-built offices of the last three centuries include the Witte Huis (Holland, 1898), one of the earliest skyscrapers, the Wainwright Building (U.S., 1891) and the Pentagon (U.S., 1943).
Laptops, video calling, Wi-Fi and hybrid working complete the top five most influential office innovations.
The results show that CEOs view the technological shift workers are going through right now as being as significant as anything the office has gone through in the last 300 years, such as the rise of the typewriter, smartphones or even the internet.
The top five is dominated by modern developments in technology that have transformed working life over the past decade. All are now firmly entrenched across IWG’s global network, the largest in the world, with brands including Spaces and Regus.
Top five workplace innovations of the past 300 years for CEOs
- AI (36%)
- Laptops and tablets (35%)
- Video call/conferencing (Teams/Zoom) (31%)
- Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (29%)
- Hybrid working (26%)
Hybrid working – selected by a quarter (26%) of CEOs stands out as the defining shift in how, where and why people work amidst developments in hard and software.
This transformation is already embedded in day-to-day working life. Compared to a decade ago, 35% of CEOs say technology has made it easier for employees to work from anywhere, while 30% say meetings are now more likely to be virtual than in person.
Transformational decades: the 2020s and 1990s
The 2020s are viewed as the most transformational decade to date, driven by the rapid adoption of hybrid models, AI, automation and flexible working practices.
This marks a significant leap from the 1990s, the second most impactful era, when the internet, email and early computing technologies first connected workplaces on a global scale.
From fax machines to failed fads
But many of these ‘90s innovations are lost on younger workers. When asked if they could describe some of these innovations, only one in five (20%) could do so for fax machines and 16% for floppy disks – despite it being the instantly recognisable “save document” icon.
Despite this generational knowledge gap, there remains a sense of nostalgia. Over two thirds (68%) of CEOs say they feel nostalgic for workplace tools and technologies of the past.
Much like typewriters and dial-up internet, not all modern technology is expected to survive. Innovations that CEOs expected to transform how we work but turned out to be short-lived include smart glasses (41%), desk treadmills (39%) and interactive whiteboards (35%).
Today’s workplace boosts productivity
More than a third (35%) of business leaders say it’s AI that has had the greatest impact on productivity in their organisation, ahead of laptops and video calling. Overall, 83% of CEOs say recent changes in how we work have been positive, while 81% believe today’s workplace is better designed for collaboration and productivity.
Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder of IWG, commented: “For the past 300 years, the office has continually evolved alongside each major wave of tech innovation. Now with the advent and rapid adoption of AI, we are seeing one of the most significant and groundbreaking innovations over this entire period”.