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The world of work is being struck by waves of change. Some are vast and visible – leaps in machine learning and artificial intelligence or the rise of ‘do anything from anywhere’ technologies. Other ideas are just beginning to emerge – like monitoring content to ensure proper gender balance, or rethinking office design to promote air quality. Behind it all are the people whose ideas and attitudes have the potential to shape the next chapter of our lives. Here are the 101 indispensable things that you need to know about our work-life future.
What else do you think is redefining the way we work and live? Share your ideas with us on Facebook. We’ll compile and publish them in the coming weeks.
1. 100-year-lifespan We’re more likely than ever to live past a century. Whether this becomes a blessing or a curse for society and business depends on how much we can prepare for it.
2. 5G Self-driving cars, robotics and smart cities, to name a few, will be supercharged through the 5G wireless network. It’s the next step in mobile internet connectivity – and it’s here. Almost.
3. Adaptability quotient In an ever-changing work environment, ‘AQ’, rather than IQ, might become an increasingly significant marker of success.
4. Algorithmic justice More machines than ever can recognise us, but they inadvertently discriminate on race, gender and more. People like Joy Buolamwini are trying to fix these built-in biases.
5. Anti-distraction apps For better or worse, the internet is an attention-sapping platform. Perhaps an app that blocks, well, almost everything can help you focus.
6. Autocomplete We’re starting to trust AI systems to write our emails for us. Is this time-saving tool changing how we communicate?
7. Automated hiring – and firing AI can screen your job application – the question is whether it should also be allowed to scan your social media, analyse your facial expressions and even fire you.
8. Biohacking Fasting, micro-dosing, supplements, some go to great lengths to boost productivity – even if the validity of such approaches is unproven.
9. Biometric CVs Wearable tech that monitors physical performance is booming. Whether there is a place for it in recruitment and performance analysis is debatable.
10. Breathable offices Rethinking how buildings are designed, decorated and operated could help benefit our health and even our productivity at work.
11. Burnout How the idea that we can work harder and be better at everything is creating an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and anxiety from not meeting these high expectations.
12. Car-free cities Oslo is the latest city to make its central zone car-free. Though some diehard drivers and business owners have been sceptical, the benefits are substantial.
13. China's 996 The Chinese version of the grind-it-out work culture that tech workers are beginning to rebel against.
14. Co-living Millennials are trading traditional housing for cheaper, more flexible shared communities. Is this the future of urban living, or house-sharing, rebranded?
