WeWork and Amazon have been working on an AI desk that utilizes the Amazon Alexa technology to be used WeWork offices.
The coworking space provider is blazing a trail in the artificial intelligence sector in New York. WeWork’s European Transactions Director Mary Finnigan said at a recent Market even in Bisnow Manchester State that the company is “at a convergence of AI and office furniture.”
“This comes out of the analytics we’ve done on our spaces,” Finnigan said. “What we’ve developed in some locations in New York is the ability that as you approach your desk, the desk will recognise you via a phone app, will raise the desk to the right height, will know if you prefer standing or sitting desks, and will adapt the temperature or lighting according to how you customised the app.
“So it’s about customizing spaces to suit our members, whilst recognizing that different people can come in and out of the space on a regular basis.”
This is the first sign of activity for this project which was apparently running since late fall of last year for WeWork employees only.
WeWork has been using Amazon’s Alexa for Business platform to explore the possibilities of an Alexa that is more mobile to the current versions— one that can move with individuals as opposed to being attached to specific spaces. The technology is being tested at their Chelsea, New York base, according to TechCrunch’s report last November.
TechCrunch has also stated that the aim is to make any desk, anywhere in the world, conform to its specific user with the help of the Alexa iPhone app, as opposed to Echo.
“We’ve used our experience from our 250 locations to make the design of each space community-driven,” Finnigan said.
“So we’ll use data from previous build-outs right down to where we put an armchair or a beer tap to encourage communication, and that is all done with the aim of facilitating community and members doing business with each other.”
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