Trendwatch Workplace: May 11, 2020

MIT Technology Review: Critical Workers, Productivity, and the Future of AI 

More than 22 million US workers are performing essential services, with more than half in health care alone. These jobs may be first to benefit from AI as businesses build resilience for the future.

Wired: The Cubicle Is Back. Blame (or Thank) the Coronavirus 

As businesses reopen, social distancing rules will lead to new partitions between workspaces, reminiscent of the fabric-clad dividers of the 1980s.     

Fast Company: This Magic Interface Is the Future of Videoconferencing    

The design firm Argodesign has created a concept called the Square. It’s an artificial window, created from an LCD screen that goes on the wall next to your desk.

Quartz: At Indian Packaging Giant UFlex, Growth Is All About Upskilling Staff

Indian packaging solutions major UFlex attributes its leadership in the segment to a relentless focus on employees.  

Wired: As Workers Spread Out to Halt the Virus, Robots Fill the Gaps 

Social distancing requires rethinking the layout of workplaces. A new breed of robots can help keep factories and warehouses running.