AI is accelerating work, not ending it

• AI is reshaping productivity at exponential speed, not eliminating opportunity.
• Exponential tech growth will increase business velocity, not shrink ambition.
• In an AI-driven economy, proactive self-starters gain the advantage.

A global workplace leader on the AI shift

International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest flexible workspace platform operating in more than 120 countries, is at the forefront of observing how technology is reshaping the world of work.

From Regus to Spaces and HQ, IWG enables businesses to operate with greater agility, proximity to markets and cost efficiency. Now, artificial intelligence is accelerating that shift and many organisations are underestimating what is coming next.

According to Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder of IWG, the real risk is not that AI replaces work, it’s that businesses fail to recognise how profoundly it will enhance it.

AI isn’t the end of work, it’s the start of better work

The dominant public narrative around AI is anxiety: job losses, automation and shrinking entry-level roles.

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But Dixon sees it differently. “AI is already boosting productivity, opening up entirely new career paths, and challenging the status quo,” he says.

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Rather than eliminating work, AI is removing drudgery and compressing learning curves. Research from IWG shows that Gen Z employees are playing a key role in driving adoption, with nearly two-thirds of younger workers actively helping older colleagues embed AI tools into daily workflows.

This “reverse mentoring” is accelerating collaboration and improving productivity across organisations. The result? Work isn’t disappearing it’s evolving.

Moore’s law and exponential progress

To understand the magnitude of change, Dixon points to a historical precedent: Moore’s Law.

In the early 1970s, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors on a microchip doubled roughly every two years. This meant computing power didn’t grow incrementally, it grew exponentially.

The principle transformed industries. Wait two years, and you didn’t get a small upgrade, you got a dramatic leap.

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AI, Dixon argues, is following a similar curve. “We’re treating AI like a modest efficiency tool, when in reality it’s part of an exponential curve, the most significant shift I’ve seen since starting Regus in 1989.”

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This is not linear change. It’s compounding acceleration.

The velocity of business is increasing

‍The real impact of AI is not fewer jobs, it’s faster business. Dixon recalls when email first emerged. Many established companies dismissed it, preferring traditional communication methods. Those that resisted eventually lost relevance.

Once email, smartphones and the internet were properly adopted, business didn’t slow down, it accelerated.

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AI will have the same effect. “When individuals can do ten or twenty times more work in a day, organisations don’t stand still. They expand what’s possible.”

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As productivity multiplies, businesses increase ambition. Markets expand. Innovation compounds.

Yes, job categories will shift. Entry pathways may change. But economic activity historically grows alongside technological progress, it doesn’t contract.

AI as the Ultimate Learning Accelerator

Another underestimated dimension is AI’s impact on education and training.

AI-enhanced tools allow employees and students to climb the learning curve far faster than previous generations. Instead of relying solely on osmosis or slow on-the-job progression, individuals can now access instant knowledge, simulations and feedback loops.

That advantage starts in the classroom and continues into the workplace.

By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up time for what humans do best: creative thinking, problem-solving and strategic judgment.

In an AI world, self-starters win

‍Dixon is clear about one thing: adaptability will define success.

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“One of the qualities I look for in future talent is their ability to use AI effectively, recognising how this can turbocharge a business’ potential.”

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Individuals who are already experimenting with AI tools, subscribing to platforms and actively learning how to apply them will move ahead of the curve.

The mindset required is not new, ambitious professionals have always upskilled outside formal systems. What’s changed is the speed and scale of opportunity.

Young professionals, in particular, must ask:

• Where will I gain relevant experience in an AI-driven economy?
• Do I possess the skills future companies will value?
• Am I proactively building capabilities beyond formal education?

In periods of exponential change, passivity is expensive.

Paving the way ahead

Every major technological shift follows a familiar pattern: many cling to what they know, while a smaller group adapts early and captures outsized gains.

The difference today is velocity.

AI is a foundational technology, like the early microprocessor reshaping everything built on top of it. It is not a distant future scenario. It is already influencing productivity, business models and competitive advantage.

For companies, this means embracing experimentation and embedding AI into workflows now. For individuals, it means ownership of personal development.

The lesson from decades of technological disruption is clear: those who move early benefit most. AI is not shrinking the world of work. It is expanding what is possible, at speed.

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