Happy Sunday, pals!

What an insane newsweek it’s been where we can all watch the world continue to implode and then go back to our little jobs pretending life is ok. This hilarious video from 2022 about this very thing feels ultra relevant still. (NSFW - language warning, contains expletives)

So let’s distract ourselves with some late stage capitalism and evaluate the new shiny things released at CES this year.

I’ll be less morbid next week, I swear. 😅 

In today’s issue

• ⚡️ Lightning List - What I’m reading this week

• 📱 CES 2025 - What the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas says about the future of work

• ⭐️ Community Spotlight - New book dropping soon

• 💰️ Sponsor - SelectSoftware Reviews

⚡️ Lightning List ⚡️ 

💡 Work Smarter - CES 2025 💡 

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has always been a crystal ball for technological innovation, but this year's event did something different: it showed us not just what's possible, but what's practical. 

With 141,000+ attendees and 4,500+ exhibitors converging in Las Vegas, CES 2025 painted a vivid picture of how technology will reshape our working lives.

💡 Where Innovation Meets Implementation

This year's CES wasn't just about flashy gadgets—it was about bridging the gap between AI promises and workplace reality. As Accenture CEO Julie Sweet noted in her keynote, while only 36% of executives have scaled generative AI solutions so far, the technologies showcased at CES 2025 suggest we're at a tipping point of practical implementation.

💼 Key Innovations Reshaping Work

While a lot of these might seem like gadgets nobody will actually buy, it’s important to put on our futurist hats and imagine what the impact of these trends can have on the way we work. Some might be a bit of a stretch… but who knows - maybe 50% will be true and that’s still a lot!

1. 🤝 Workplace Communication & Collaboration

• Halliday Smart Glasses: By integrating real-time translation for 40+ languages into an "invisible display," these glasses could transform international business communication.
  Impact: Breaks down language barriers in global teams and enables more natural cross-cultural collaboration.

• Google's Gemini TV Integration: While seemingly consumer-focused, this technology signals the future of smart meeting spaces.
  Impact: Could transform how we conduct hybrid meetings and presentations, making them more interactive and accessible.

2. 🌊 Productivity & Workflow

• Project Digits by Nvidia: This $3,000 desktop AI supercomputer democratizes AI development.
  Impact: Enables smaller companies and individual developers to build and test AI solutions without massive infrastructure investments.

• Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6: The rollable screen technology (14" to 16.7") represents a breakthrough in mobile workspace flexibility.
  Impact: Enhances productivity for remote workers by providing adaptable screen real estate without sacrificing portability.

3. 🧘‍♀️ Workplace Wellness & Accessibility

• Circular Ring 2: Beyond fitness tracking, its AFib detection and digital sizing innovation show how workplace wellness monitoring is becoming more sophisticated.
  Impact: Enables more proactive health monitoring in workplace wellness programs.

• Nuance Audio Smart Glasses: Built-in hearing aid functionality in regular-looking frames.
  Impact: Makes workplace accessibility more discrete and dignified for hearing-impaired workers.

4. 🔗 Infrastructure & Connectivity

• TP-Link Deco BE65-Outdoor: Weatherproof Wi-Fi 7 mesh networking.
  Impact: Enables truly flexible outdoor workspaces and better connectivity for remote workers.

• Swippitt Power System: Battery-swapping technology that charges devices in seconds.
  Impact: Could eliminate productivity losses from device charging downtime.

⭐️ PB: This is a fairly mild representation of what was released. Some worst in show lists include anything from AI Smart Cribs for babies to RoboDogs which reminds us all - just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Enjoy lol

🔮 Future of Work Trends Emerging from CES

CES has come a long way since I was slingin’ Sony Xperia’s on the show floor in 2009. Now, it’s not just hardware launches that take the stage, it’s all kinds of tech experts and futurists discussing a wide range of topics.

Check out these two great talks:

• Rethinking Work: Shaping the Future of the Modern Workforce

• Embracing AI: Revolutionizing the Future of Work

Or don’t check them out and catch some themes below. The world is your oyster.

1. ✨ Personalized Work Experiences

• Technology is enabling increasingly customized work environments

• Tools adapt to individual preferences and needs

• Focus on enhancing both productivity and employee satisfaction

2. 🤖 Human-AI Collaboration

• Emphasis on augmentation rather than replacement

• Tools designed for partnership between humans and AI

• Focus on ethical implementation and trust-building

3. 💻️ Workplace Flexibility Evolution

• Technology enabling new forms of hybrid work

• Enhanced support for remote collaboration

• Breaking down traditional office boundaries

4. 🌈 Accessibility and Inclusion

• Technology democratizing workplace participation

• Tools bridging communication gaps

• Focus on inclusive design in workplace technology

🔭 Looking Forward

CES 2025 showed us that the future of work isn't about a single revolutionary change—it's about the thoughtful integration of multiple technologies to create more flexible, inclusive, and productive workplaces. As we navigate this transformation, the key will be balancing technological capability with human needs.

1. Trust Is Fundamental: Julie Sweet's emphasis on both functional and emotional trust in AI technologies highlights the importance of thoughtful implementation.

2. Skills-Based Future: The focus on adaptable technologies reflects a shift toward skills-based workplace organization.

3. Continuous Adaptation: The technologies showcased suggest workplace evolution will be ongoing and iterative.

4. Human-Centric Design: Despite AI advancement, there's a clear focus on human needs and experiences in workplace technology.

The tools are getting smarter, but the goal remains the same: enabling people to do their best work, wherever and however they choose to do it. And if these innovations are any indication, the workplace of tomorrow might just be worth showing up to—even if "showing up" means putting on your smart glasses and joining from your backyard office.

⭐️ Community Spotlight ⭐️ 

Many of your know Kelly Monahan, Ph.D. from her role as Managing Director of the Research Institute at Upwork. If you are just learning about her, you can check out my post about Kelly’s impact on the future of work from March.

For those of you that have been following her, you may know that she’s been writing a book!

It’s officially being released on January 22nd and already has some fantastic reviews from the limited release.

1. Check out the synopsis below

2. Comment on her LinkedIn post to share the love

3. Pre-order the book

🎁 Weekly Workforce Wrapped 🎁 

Looking back, it’s been a wild year.

Weekly Workforce had

• 52 issues

• 489 pages of content

• 2461 links

• 115,531 words

• 858,251 characters

It’s been a labor of love but also a joy to help so many leaders stay on top of the future of work trends and ultimately make it a more sustainable and inclusive place for all.

If you’ve enjoyed Weekly Workforce and want to support/keep it going - buy the 2025 Predictions Report (consider it like buying me a coffee). The discount ends today.

This week’s sponsor is…

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That’s all for now, pals. See ya next week.

Eryn