Oui, Bonjour, At Your Service (Macro)
Back in 2018 I wrote these four speculative narratives that described future scenarios for the state of remote work in 2045.
This is the macro-scenario 2 of 4
The macro-environment
In this future, the economy has become shaped by the demand for services. The view of work has not evolved. It is still seen in a traditionalist way, primarily as a business opportunity and as a method for obtaining money. Work is not about self-improvement and the workplace has become a service offered by key service providers.
This is a world where technology is viewed as an integral part of everyday life. Artificial intelligence and wearables are trusted as aids with which to better interact with the digital world. In fact, most citizens have access to augmented reality (AR) contacts and/ or glasses allowing them to experience the world in additional layers of reality. Wearables and AR contacts collect a large amount of data on individuals that can then be used to offer tailored recommendations and environments. Overall, individuals are willing to give up their privacy and data in exchange for a better experience and/or a higher wage.
Wearables also allow individuals to quickly access their virtual workplace in order to rapidly approve a request or look something over. As a result work follows workers wherever they go. Some may even say that this society is one that values the pursuit of work a little too strenuously, and that the technology has transformed nearly all of those employed into around the clock workers.
Nootropics, or ‘smart drugs’ are available in pill form and are quite common, yet the latest trend sees nootropic foods and beverages becoming more common. In a surprising development, nootropic-laced drinks are now replacing coffee as they are seen as being more effective, and a less environmentally demanding product to produce.
Furniture has become a leasable service. Every few years, subscribers to the service are eligible to pick new home furnishings from a catalogue, at no extra cost. This allows families to rent cribs and childrens beds when needed and upgrade them to larger equivalents on demand. This has proven very efficient in terms of reducing furniture waste since furniture can now be refurbished and reallocated amongst the service provider’s network instead of thrown-away curbside. As individuals move from home to home, or even country to country, this service allows them to leave their furniture behind and order the same items once on location, thereby eliminating the need to move large items.
A counter movement has emerged of individuals who curate their own environments, usually composed of prized heirloom pieces. Of course, there are those that refuse to subscribe to a furniture leasing service as they already feel as though they are over-subscribed to too many services. It is true that services and subscription-based businesses have become the norm, with individuals feeling as though they have to subscribe to grocery replenishment services, home cleaning services, wardrobe styling services, heck, even toilet paper services! Even though each of these services only cost a few dollars, when they are added up the costs of living have become phenomenal.
Air travel has been targeted as a large contributor of air pollution and as such efforts to reduce the amount of flights operated have spurred holoportation technology. This is a type of augmented reality teleconferencing technology that allows individuals to appear in an alternate location. Of course this has not been an adequate replacement for people’s desire for travel and exploration yet it has proven effective in reducing the number of business flights. This has also facilitated international collaborations and the ability of remote workers to work from any city in the world and holoport to their colleagues located in another city. In some ways, one could say that the majority of the workforce is now composed of remote workers as even full-time employees have the flexibility to work from any location they desire. Companies have networks of satellite office space, sometimes in the form of rented coworking offices.
The identity of each city has been enhanced through digital overlays that not only allows businesses to market themselves in new ways, but it also serves a practical function as multiple businesses share a single location, the digital overlays rotate and sort themselves according to your interests. An additional bonus are stylistic architectural overlays you can purchase that digitally transforms your surroundings into, say, an Amsterdam-inspired environment. Individuals no longer have to go to Dubai to feel as though they are surrounded by tall skyscrapers.
KEY TRENDS INFORMING THIS SCENARIO
service economy
on-demand economy
phygital office
transhumanism
subscription economy
This system of digital overlays has been merged with that of the furniture-for-lease model which allows organizations and individuals to completely redesign their environments as often as they wish. Corporate identities can thus be endlessly emulated through digital overlays of space, and interior designers and interior curators are in high-demand. However, the virtual headquarter is the main way remote workers interact with their company’s office space. Gatherings happen roughly once a week at the company’s physical office space (sometimes in rented locations) in order to solidify social bonds.
Artificial intelligence automaton are threatening to take over more and more jobs, yet it is generally accepted that automaton have improved the human condition by relieving individuals of mundane, repetitive, and demeaning tasks.
In terms of the built environment, circadian rhythm lighting has become the lighting of choice - even for streetlights, although some would argue that the old orange-hued sodium lights of past were already serving as a type of make-shift circadian lighting system. Now, the city’s light visibly shifts as night time approaches as streetlights and office space light soften and warm at night time.