Artificial intelligence (AI) will not destroy UK office demand, but reshape the sector as companies design workspaces to match AI-enabled business practices.
This was largely the message delivered by a specialist panel hosted by Bidwells, the real estate advisory firm, at the annual UKREiiF (the UK real estate investment and infrastructure forum) event, held in Leeds between 19 and 21 May.
In a short talk prior to the panel discussion, Sue Foxley, research director at Bidwells, said AI-adoption was still at an early stage within the UK economy, with only some 6 percent of organisations using AI across their entire enterprises according to official UK government statistics. Nevertheless, from the evidence available to date, Foxley said it was likely that more AI-adoption by companies would result in an eventual long-term need for more office space. “The economic theory is it will improve productivity, and there are early signs of that,” explained Foxley. “So, in t
