Augmented reality: Future workplace to make us smarter

However, rather than letting technology overwhelm us, there is a huge opportunity to use this to our advantage and make technology empower us in the workplace by making us smarter.

In the past, career progression and performance tended to be a direct result of hard work, natural flair and determination. These are still highly valuable attributes, but can now be harnessed more effectively with technology.

I believe that rather than focusing on technology that will, Terminator-style, replace human behaviour; ‘augmented intelligence’ is designed to learn from your behaviour and empower the user. 

When ‘augmented intelligence’ is applied to the workplace, the potential is enormous. For the first time, employees can guarantee that the efficient use of apps and software will make them more efficient and successful. The crucial difference is that no-one is being replaced. Unlike the Luddite attacks on mechanical weaving instruments, augmented intelligence doesn’t seek to replace anyone, it seeks to free up their time and realise their potential.

The reality is that modern workers are overwhelmed by information and demands on their time. Currently, the 09:00am to 17:00pm has become impossible to maintain in this culture of constant communication. However, what we will witness is an evolution of the traditional working day that reflects the new capabilities of technology. For too long people have been downtrodden by their tech devices. The explosion of connected devices as a result of the internet of things and wearable trends will see workers taking the power back and using technology to improve their working behavior, allowing them to work from anywhere on any device.

Last year, a report from Gartner suggested that half of all employees will use their own smartphones or tablets in the office. What this means is that employees now have the opportunity of constructing a basic familiarity with a range of technology products that they can build into an efficiency arsenal. This boost to productivity can be taken to employers as a guarantee of better performance. For the first time, technology could even be the tipping point that will lead to promotions and career progression.

Technology is not going to take over in the workplace, but it is going to make everyone smarter and unlock greater results. The next few years will see the rise in popularity of wearable technology which will make the transformative potential of apps, smartphones and cloud solutions a reality. Now is the time to understand how technology can improve your work and start reaping the rewards.

Cristina Riesen is the General Manager for Europe at Evernote. 

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