Introduction to the Future of Offices
More than half of the global employees, about 51 percent, believe that artificial intelligence (AI) could one day make physical offices unnecessary. However, in contrast to this popular belief, offices remain an irreplaceable hub for connection, creativity, and culture for many experts in the United Arab Emirates.
The Work Pulse in 2025 Report
The original findings come from IT Company Goto’s new report, The work pulse in 2025, based on a survey of 2,500 employees and IT executives worldwide. According to the study, 62 percent of the employees stated that they would prefer to work with AI tools from a distance instead of returning to an office. In the United Arab Emirates, however, experts in industries have emphasized why physical jobs are still important.
The Importance of Physical Offices
Industry experts and HR experts have marked that offices had to develop in their purpose. "Organizations should shift their way of thinking and see offices less as places for transaction tasks and more as rooms for cooperation, creativity, and cultural structure," said an expert. "AI will rationalize the operational work, but companies still need hubs in which people can combine, innovate, and ideas, whether from face-to-face or by internal systems that are effectively adopted."
Communication and Well-being Remain the Key
"Communication between teams must remain strong because the collaboration is the backbone of productivity," she said, emphasizing the importance of communication and well-being at work. "Hybrid collaboration instruments that develop with AI to make teamwork seamless, regardless of where the employees are." She also noticed that in her experience, psychological health problems increase when people spend too much time at home. "Without the natural face-to-face an office, individuals can rethink problems that do not require it."
The Future of Work
The digital fluence will be of crucial importance for the future, but personal skills cannot be overlooked. "I think there will also be an increasing demand for strong communicators and sales employees who can enter into face-to-face interactions. Many young people who enter the workforce are highly dependent on technology and AI, but we already see a gap in the initiative and human interaction skills." AI can strengthen efficiency, but still have a unique value. "I believe that the technology, including AI, should improve the way we work, and enable us to create better productivity and efficiency, but not to replace the value of physical togetherness."
Human Interaction
The reason is easier – the essence of human interaction. "I believe that AI can never replace office space. Technology can make processes faster and more efficiently, but the essence of a workplace is in human interaction. There are people where people connect, share ideas, and build relationships that go beyond transactions. This human element can never be replicated by AI." The same feeling is reproduced by experts in the creative industry. "There are some things that we can only do in the office. The energy of teamwork, the spontaneous exchange of ideas, and the collaborative problem-solving that occurs when colleagues are physically present cannot always be practically replicated."
