The modern workplace is in a state of flux, caught between the promises of artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges of digital security, network infrastructure, and human adaptation. While executives and tech leaders speak of the AI-driven future with boundless enthusiasm, the reality is more complex. AI is not merely another layer of automation – it is a fundamental shift in how work is done, who does it, and how businesses remain competitive in a world where technology evolves faster than strategy.
These issues came to the fore during the Cisco Live conference in Amsterdam this week. With a record 18,000 delegates in attendance, the future of work itself came under the microscope.
“The composition of the workforce is changing,” declared Jeetu Patel, Cisco EVP and chief product officer in a keynote address on Tuesday. “We will see tremendous augmentation to humans with AI agents, AI assistants, robotics, and humanoids.”
Traditional roles are being redefined, and new forms of intelligence – both human and artificial – are becoming integral to productivity.
AI-powered assistants are taking on routine tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex work. Robotics and automation are making their way into white-collar environments, much as they transformed manufacturing decades ago. Even something as seemingly mundane as network infrastructure is being reimagined. Cisco’s approach involves ensuring that workplaces are not just digitally connected but structurally prepared for an AI-centric workflow.
“Every company will be a digital company,” Patel said. “Every company will be an AI company.”
The implications of this transformation go beyond efficiency gains. It requires a complete rethinking of how workplaces function – both physically and digitally. The workplace of the future will be an intricate web of smart devices, AI-augmented interactions, and hyper-connected systems designed to eliminate friction. In Cisco’s vision, this is not a distant possibility but an imminent reality.
One of the more striking revelations from Patel’s keynote was the emphasis on networking infrastructure as the foundation for AI readiness.
“AI models require a fundamentally different set of expectations for infrastructure than what we actually have today,” he said. This is not just a matter of increasing bandwidth or improving processing power. The ability of AI to operate effectively depends on how efficiently data moves within an organisation. From hyperscale data centres to branch offices, the entire network must be AI-ready, capable of handling the massive throughput and low-latency requirements that AI workloads demand.
AI in the fabric of the network
The introduction of AI-driven smart switches is an example of how workplaces are evolving to meet this challenge. Cisco’s latest generation of Wi-Fi 7 access points and networking switches is designed not just for speed but for intelligence. These devices incorporate data processing units (DPUs), allowing AI models to run directly within network infrastructure rather than being entirely dependent on centralised servers.
Patel described it as “embedding AI into the fabric of the network.” This shift reduces congestion, improves security, and ensures that AI-driven applications operate smoothly across enterprise environments.
Patel warned that AI presents a new class of risks that existing security models are not designed to handle. “Traditional zero-trust network access (ZTNA) is simply not sufficient,” he said.
AI models are inherently non-deterministic – meaning their outputs can be unpredictable. This unpredictability introduces new vulnerabilities, making AI systems targets for manipulation and exploitation. The Cisco AI Defense suite was launched to counteract these risks, offering real-time monitoring, validation, and enforcement of security policies across AI-driven environments.
Security concerns extend beyond AI itself. The very nature of work has changed, with employees working from diverse locations – home offices, shared workspaces, and even vehicles. This decentralisation introduces security blind spots, making it harder for IT teams to enforce policies uniformly.
Cisco’s approach, according to Patel, is “zero-trust with zero friction.” The objective is to provide seamless security without disrupting workflow. AI-powered security monitoring tools analyse network traffic, device behaviour, and user activity to detect anomalies before they escalate into major threats.
Webex AI Agent
Patel also introduced Webex AI Agent, a new AI-powered customer support system designed to eliminate wait times.
“Over a month of your life is spent waiting on hold,” he said, citing statistics that underscore the inefficiency of current customer service models. The Webex AI Agent promises to handle up to 90% of customer inquiries without human intervention while ensuring that, when a human agent is required, they receive contextual information in real-time. The system can understand tone, adapt responses, and maintain conversational flow, effectively humanising AI-driven customer interactions.
Beyond AI assistants and security, the physical workplace itself is undergoing an AI-powered shift. Cisco Spaces, a platform that integrates with Wi-Fi access points and smart sensors, enables real-time occupancy tracking, environmental monitoring, and location-based analytics.
British Telecom (BT), a Cisco partner, has leveraged this technology to optimise office space utilisation and improve energy efficiency.
“We’re able to get real-time insights into how our spaces are used,” said Colin Bannon, CTO of BT’s business services division. This level of data-driven workplace management is rapidly becoming standard, allowing companies to reconfigure office layouts dynamically, based on actual usage rather than assumptions.
Yet, even as AI changes the workplace, fundamental challenges remain. Patel acknowledged that while AI-driven productivity enhancements are impressive, human adaptability remains the biggest unknown factor. The workplace of the future is not just about technology but also about the people navigating it. The introduction of AI-powered automation, robotic assistants, and AI-driven decision-making raises questions about job displacement, skills training, and the ethical use of AI. These are not abstract concerns; they are real issues that businesses must address as AI adoption accelerates.
Patel left the audience with a critical challenge: the future-proof workplace is not simply a technological shift – it is a leadership challenge. Organisations must prepare not only their infrastructure but also their workforce for the reality of AI-driven work.
“Every application will be an AI application. Every network will be an AI network. The only question is: are we ready for it?”
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.