future of work

Back in 1940, a Canadian named Norman Breakey invented the paint roller—a leap forward in painting technology. Immediately, professional painters panicked, fearing large-scale job loss, and for years, paint rollers were banned from professional painting jobs. But of course, large-scale adoption was…

I began this comic book series with the idea that creating a science fiction prototype would be a useful tool in imagining—and planning for—the Future of Work. I have found it helpful to envision future scenarios where a mobile, flexible work force collaborates seamlessly with each other and with in…

Whatever you think the future might bring, one thing is certain—it will be about transformation and choice. The transformation is certain—it’s already here and accelerating. But how that transformation takes shape is still our choice. This comic book prototype of the Future of Work has been one way…

In our digital and connected world, the opportunities are simply too large and fast-moving for any one company to seize on its own. That’s why we created Cisco Hyperinnovation Living Labs (CHILL). CHILL gathers together an impressive cross-section of large industry players to tackle large industry i…

Office workers of the mid-20th century would not recognize how we work today. They banged out documents in triplicate using manual typewriters and carbon paper. They had to wait for a live operator to connect their phone calls manually. Their hours were fixed and non-negotiable. How could they have…

We can’t talk about the future of work without considering the worker of the future. Who will that worker be? What kinds of skills will she or he need to thrive in an era of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation? And how will companies find, recruit, and train the workers they will need to com…

The Future of Work is a huge topic.  How will we attract and retain the worker of the future? How can we leverage the latest technology to augment the worker of the future? What will the workplaces of the future be like?  It’s the subject of conferences, white papers, speculation, pontificating, and…

For decades, we have imagined the future through the eyes of comic book heroes — from boy-next-door Peter Parker’s Spiderman to Amazon princess Wonder Woman. So, as we approach our next Cisco Hyperinnovation Living Lab, focused on the future of work, I thought we might explore that part of our futur…

What will work look like in 10 years? We’ve heard a lot about the ways new technologies—artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics and the like—will disrupt work as we know it. Will we have a shiny new future, where machines take over menial or repetitive tasks so people can be free to pursu…