How Work Tech is Evolving

I've been in tech long enough to remember when "going online" meant dial-up sounds and patience. Now I'm watching the internet prepare for its next fundamental shift – and it's not what most people think. We're not just getting better apps or faster speeds. We're moving toward something we call "The Agentic Web“– where intelligent software acts on your behalf, not just responds to your clicks. Here's what I'm seeing converge right now: ▶︎ AI agents that can own wallets, sign contracts, and make autonomous business decisions ▶︎ Physical assets becoming programmable digital primitives (yes, your office building could have an API) ▶︎ Gaming-born economic models scaling into immersive business environments where your next board meeting happens in spatial computing ▶︎ Privacy-preserving collaboration that lets competitors safely share data ▶︎ Decentralized social platforms where users actually own their data and connections The infrastructure is being built today. The question is: will your business be ready to build on it? I just published my latest newsletter diving deep into these five forces reshaping how we'll work, collaborate, and create value in the next decade. What it means for your business → Real-world applications you can implement now → Strategic insights for navigating this transition → Perfect read for your commute or coffee break. Link here👇 What are you seeing in your industry? How are these trends manifesting in your work? I'd love to continue this conversation in the comments. #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #Innovation #TechTrends

Software is no longer the end product—intelligence is. The future doesn’t belong to systems that store data and automate workflows—it belongs to those that synthesize information, surface insights, and drive action. The days of bouncing between screens, hunting for information, and manually aligning teams? Numbered. Every day, we are getting closer to a workplace where: - Knowledge workers won’t be glorified data entry clerks. Technology will finally do the heavy lifting, freeing them to focus on strategic work. These people will be responsible for outcomes without being encumbered by the tedium. As a result, we will need fewer people to acquire and keep our customers.   - Every team continues to work on their screen of choice, but the data they have access to will be aggregated across every system. They may be on different screens, but everyone will be on the same page. The next era is about alignment, automation, and AI-driven decision-making. - There will be a fundamental shift in the tech business model. Businesses won’t pay for ‘seats’—they’ll pay for intelligence. The old model of software—charging for logins, licenses, and user seats—is dying. No one wants to pay for access to another tool; they want outcomes, insights, and automation that drive real impact. The solutions that deliver intelligence over any interface will define the next era of technology. The shift is happening—those who embrace it will lead, while those who resist will be left behind. The future belongs to businesses that trade inefficiency for intelligence, that replace busywork with impact, and that empower people to think, create, and drive outcomes—not just enter data. Innovation doesn’t wait.  #AI #Automation #FutureOfWork #IntelligenceOverSoftware

It is a mistake to view the current evolution of work as a simple matter of adopting new software or learning to write better prompts for a machine. We have spent decades tying our professional value to output, measured by how quickly we can process information or move through a list of technical tasks. This focus on speed and volume turned many into operators of digital assembly lines, where the primary goal was always to produce more in less time. The arrival of advanced technology changes that calculation, as it handles the repetitive and analytical parts of our roles with an efficiency no person can match. Ryan Roslansky, the CEO of LinkedIn and EVP of Microsoft Office & Copilot, and Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn’s Chief Economic Opportunity Officer, address this fundamental change in their book, Open to Work. They suggest that every job is essentially a collection of different tasks, many of which are now better suited for automation. The ideas they have shared point toward a necessary transition in how we view our careers. They argue that as the burden of production moves to machines, professionals must reclaim the human capabilities that have been sidelined by the pursuit of efficiency. This shift requires us to move away from the mindset of being a technical processor and instead focus on curiosity and communication. Our future at work depends on our ability to ask better questions and connect with others in ways that technology cannot replicate. By allowing tools to handle high-volume work, we can devote our energy to judgment and creativity. The challenge is deciding how to spend our time once the most demanding parts of our work are handled for us.

Robots aren’t replacing people, they’re working among them 🤖 The future of work won’t be human or machine. It will be human and machine. Across factories, warehouses, hospitals, and offices, robots are now operating side by side with people sharing space, tasks, and decisions. From collaborative robots on assembly lines to humanoid systems navigating human environments, the shift is already underway. What’s changing isn’t just technology, it’s work itself: • 🏭 Safety first: Robots handle hazardous, repetitive, or physically demanding tasks • 🧠 Human focus: People move toward creativity, judgment, and problem-solving • 🔁 Collaboration: Machines adapt to human behavior, not the other way around • 📈 Productivity: Output increases without increasing burnout Companies like Boston Dynamics, Tesla, and ABB are showing that the real value of robotics lies in augmentation, not automation alone. The biggest challenge ahead isn’t technical. It’s cultural. How do we design workflows, leadership, and trust when humans and robots become teammates? ▶️ Jonathan Valladares MBA, MSc, MBB

AI Voice Dictation Is Quietly Changing How Modern Offices Sound Artificial intelligence is reshaping workplace behavior in an unexpected way: typing is increasingly being replaced by whispering. As AI-powered dictation and coding assistants become more capable, many professionals are now speaking directly to their computers instead of typing prompts manually. The result, according to the article, is that offices, coworking spaces, and even homes are beginning to resemble low-volume call centers filled with constant murmuring directed at AI systems. The shift is being driven by tools such as Wispr Flow and AI coding assistants like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex. These systems allow users to verbally brainstorm ideas, dictate stream-of-consciousness instructions, and generate polished text or software output in real time. For many users, speaking naturally to AI feels significantly faster and more fluid than typing. Complex prompts, coding instructions, and creative workflows can often be communicated conversationally, reducing friction and accelerating productivity. However, the behavioral change is also introducing new social and cultural tensions. Shared workspaces that were once relatively quiet are becoming filled with whispered conversations between humans and machines. In homes and offices alike, coworkers, partners, and roommates increasingly find themselves surrounded by continuous low-level AI interaction noise. The article highlights how rapidly AI interfaces are evolving beyond traditional keyboard-and-screen interaction models. As speech recognition and conversational AI improve, voice-based computing may become a primary interface layer for many professional tasks, especially in software development, writing, design, and research workflows. The transition also reflects a broader shift toward more human-like interaction with machines. Instead of adapting themselves to rigid software commands, users are increasingly communicating with AI systems conversationally, almost as if speaking to colleagues or assistants. Key Takeaways for the material include the reality that AI is not only changing productivity tools, but also reshaping workplace culture, communication habits, and social norms. Voice-driven interaction may increasingly replace traditional typing for many knowledge-work tasks. The broader implication is that human-computer interaction is entering a more conversational era. As AI systems become more responsive and context-aware, workplaces may evolve around continuous spoken collaboration with digital agents — creating both efficiency gains and entirely new forms of social friction in daily life. I share daily insights with tens of thousands followers across defense, tech, and policy. If this topic resonates, I invite you to connect and continue the conversation. Keith King https://lnkd.in/gHPvUttw

Work itself isn't changing. Who and what can do it is. AI isn't just a tool anymore. In a growing number of workflows, it's functioning like a contributor. When AI enters that system as a contributor, not just a tool, but something that produces outputs, handles pieces of work, and operates with increasing autonomy, the work system has to be rethought. In most organizations, nobody is designing or governing that side of it. This doesn’t demand an immediate, comprehensive human–AI work system redesign. But work the system is already evolving, often informally, at the individual and team level. The biggest near-term risk isn’t sudden disruption. It’s drift: • roles shifting without clarity • skills eroding without intent • managers making workforce decisions without a framework This installment in the “What Role Should HR Play in AI Transformation” series makes the case for HR's role in designing the people side of what work is becoming. HR’s remit is to: 👉 help define the organization’s position on human contribution 👉 build visibility into how work is changing 👉create the frameworks to support decision making 👉equip managers to make better decisions 👉 expand human capability beyond tool training 👉 shape the culture and conditions that help people thrive The point is not to leap before the organization is ready. It’s to keep today’s work functioning while building the capability to navigate what comes next. That’s why this matters now and why we need HR at the table.

Lately, many executive conversations about AI are shifting away from tools and toward something more fundamental: how work itself is changing. If AI is becoming part of the operating system for how organizations run, one of the first things it exposes is how quickly skills are evolving beyond traditional roles. McKinsey’s research shows that 90 percent of organizations are already reskilling or plan to within the next year, and those that do are far more likely to achieve their digital transformation goals. That data reflects what many leaders are experiencing firsthand. Technology is moving faster than job titles, career paths, and organizational structures were ever designed to handle. The organizations making real progress are not trying to perfectly redefine every role upfront. They are building adaptability into how people work and learn every day. When AI is treated as a shared capability rather than a specialized tool, teams can evolve alongside it instead of constantly reacting to change. If AI truly becomes part of the operating system for work, then continuous learning is no longer an initiative. It becomes part of how the system runs. What are your thoughts? Date points:

Love this recent The Wall Street Journal article citing Deloitte’s Tech Trends 2026, spotlighting something many leaders are already feeling: AI has moved from experimentation to impact (https://bit.ly/48M9pF2). But there is so much to do for most organizations to take full advantage.    This year's report explores what this new phase looks like across physical AI, agentic systems, infrastructure, security, and the great rebuild of the tech organization itself. After 17 years of tracking tech inflection points, this year stands out.     Not because the tech is suddenly shinier or more capable. For sure there's a ton to be excited about, but the real breakthrough is: the mindsets of leaders have evolved. Moving from: “Where can I apply AI and other tech for efficiency gains" to: "How can I unlock new markets? How can I evolve our core mission or business model? How can I fundamentally reimagine work?"   That shift from curiosity to action is what “AI comes of age” really means.     The organizations pulling ahead aren’t layering intelligence onto yesterday’s ways of working. They’re treating AI less as a feature and more as a force that reshapes everything it touches, from processes and operating models to architectures and product roadmaps.      Rather than chasing every capability, the organizations leading the way are redesigning how work gets done at the core. They’re anchoring AI to outcomes and staying on course even when the road ahead has low visibility.  What’s most striking is the commitment to embracing AI’s momentum. Because when innovation compounds, standing still means getting left behind – and it’s up to us to keep up the pace.     Great insights, Kelly Raskovich! 

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬. 𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. At Deloitte, we call it the 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. Humans and digital agents working side by side. Not science fiction. Already happening. A bot closes insurance claims in seconds. An agent writes code faster than entire squads. And people? They do what only humans can: judgment, empathy, imagination. But winning in this new world means rebuilding how work actually works. Here’s what that looks like 👇 1️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. It’s not about new tools, it’s about re-imagining how humans and systems create value together. 2️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬. Jobs won’t be lists of duties. They’ll be built around results, skills, and collaboration between humans and digital agents. 3️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐈-𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. We can’t just automate old workflows. We need to design entirely new ones that let humans and agents move as one team. 4️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫. Growth won’t come from headcount anymore, but from redesigning work so every person and every agent delivers more impact. 5️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. The biggest blocker isn’t tech. It’s trust, mindset, and leadership courage to act at scale. These aren’t tweaks. They’re transformations in how we 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. Because the future of work isn’t human or machine. It’s what happens when both learn to 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. What part of this shift feels most urgent in your world - technology, trust, or leadership?

AI isn’t just changing tools. It’s changing job roles. This week on TechIgnite AI, I explore how AI tools are redefining the way work gets done and why a new kind of professional is emerging: the AI Builder. This isn’t about replacing jobs. It’s about reshaping them. Across industries, professionals are using AI to: • Build faster without relying on large teams • Automate repetitive work and focus on higher-value decisions • Blur traditional boundaries between strategy and execution The real shift isn’t technical. It’s structural. AI is rewarding people who can combine human judgment with AI-powered execution. Speed, adaptability, and clarity now matter as much as specialization. In this issue, I break down: • Why job roles are evolving so quickly • What the rise of the AI Builder means for modern careers • How professionals can stay relevant as AI becomes part of everyday work If you work in tech, business, or knowledge roles, this shift will affect you. 📩 Read the full newsletter here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gsC8-FrQ Would love to hear your perspective. Do you already see AI changing how you work? #AI #FutureOfWork #Careers #TechTrends #ArtificialIntelligence #TechIgniteAI