“How does it work” is a technological question

The history of work is the history of technology. In fact, some philosophical accounts attest that the history of work also reflects the history of mankind.

In the context of the modern workplace, it can be read through an investigation of tools and technology that offices and office workers have developed so far. Our relationship with work and the work environment is mediated by technology, and how we perceive our work environment  and we act upon it weaves a tapestry of inter-relations that can be categorised as such:

1. Embodied work technologies, or ergonomic tools and accessories that attach to part of our body and magnify certain aspects of its experience
2. Interpretive work technology, or programming and accounting applications and face recognition interfaces that help us communicate a message or command
3. In-context technology, or devices such as airconditioning that reside in the background of where work is done. Their peripheral presence influences our overall perception of the work environment
4. Simulating technology, or the likes of VR and AR goggles, the metaverse and even 3D simulators that mimic person-to-person relationships via their interface

This articulation of the tech world helps us contextualise things in our workday. But there is one more underlying consideration that is nearly impossible to ignore: the fear for the future. Our thoughts on the future are already saturated with technology. The question is, how would our relations evolve through this multifaceted apparition of solutions and realities prospering in unimaginable size and speed?

The future of work technology calls for hope in as much as fear. The changes will be most lucid in perception, and system of relations. The way we communicate with technology or utilise them for our environmental interactions will continue evolving till we reach a state of perfection.

Would that be unsettling? Would that be exciting? Probably a bit of both.

Either way, we need to deal with it, and embrace fast-evolving concepts such as Artificial Intelligence and smart tools that are a lot more advanced and confusing than hammers, pens or screwdrivers. One important reason is that their systemic logic has evolved to an exponentially sophisticated degree.

To leverage them efficiently, we need to first understand such systemic relations. After all, between us, technology, and our work environment, the mutual evolution accounts for all-encompassing effects and actions.