The idea of people gathering in one place to do work for one employer is a comparatively recent idea, introduced when the Industrial Revolution brought workers in from farms and small-scale artisan workshops to work in factories in the interests of scale and efficiency.
Estefania Angel noticed that while her company helped other enterprises set up AI, it did not use those systems internally. She began using AI apps in Slack, Outlook, and Google to track assignments, which garnered attention from her superiors.
Micah Remley, chief executive officer at Robin, a contract-review company that utilizes AI, frames the moment clearly. AI-based workplace platforms can absorb the logistical coordination that office attendance requires, he says, freeing the office to deliver what home setups rarely match: faster alignment and richer collaboration. Leaders who treat AI as an experience upgrade, paired with intentional in-person time, create a workplace people choose.
Rebecca Hinds has studied office meetings and collaboration efforts for more than 15 years and most recently she's seen how AI can make corporate get-togethers better - or worsen existing problems. In a study commissioned by Read.AI, Hinds found that AI, when correctly implemented, can encourage more participation by women and lower-level employees. At the same time, it can actually hurt hybrid meetings, with in-room participants speaking up much more than remote attendees. AI could make meetings much worse.
