Whose 'Claude' is it anyway?

Voice AI or effectively voice control of your favourite bot may well be the next big thing.

Of course I am of an age when we first had voice recognition so cannot really see what has changed since then.

But things have. No longer the peaceful calm of the solo office, the isolation you felt. Mine was lovely top floor corner windows on two sides a door I could shut.

In my day it was bliss, Mrs W would come in at set times of the day with tea and biscuits and while I could hear her slaving away over her word processor there was no chatter.

Now we have open plan. 150 people all sat close together.

Is that a recipe for chaos? I mean you may have 'Claude' overhearing another conversation and getting your instructions wrong.

Noise research, I understand but never studied fully, shows that overheard conversation is the most disruptive office sound. I mean 70 espresso variations being ordered at once. And what if your Application for a Stay becomes a Calderbank offer instead. Chaos will ensue. You may not get Oak Milk in your latte.

What if you use a model that allows for full on argument or less restrictions ( we know who I mean), and what if the EU design the long lunch European model or decides its August so takes the month out of work.

Then of course there will be the cohort who remember that it was Rachel not Harvey who did all the hard yards and want to change the name.

I digress in part but also there is a direction here.

My model assumes the 150 person office. But so many believe that AI can replace, indeed some may well believe, it should replace swathes of people.

Other factors come into play get rid of all the juniors just who is going to turn on the PCs. I have actually seen some older people look uneasily at the tech wishing for the day of the hardworking secretary.

But I am 57 and love tech. I do talk to Claude. Sometimes even when watering the tomatoes forgetting that I am yet to possess the next thing — the wearable AI pin.

Will there be a move to this though.

In legal services where the billable hour may still remain supreme how do you charge for 10 e-mails that only took you 6 mins to instruct the AI to write and send

What about the 600 page document you asked the AI to interrogate and send a summary to your client that took 20 mins of token time - a subject dear to my heart and I will come back to dear reader.

My central point or an additional point is that some people just don't like the noise of an office, studies have shown reluctance amongst many young people that talking isn't how they communicate. But is this because they were actually never offered the view of Lincoln that I enjoyed. Is it in fact their preference has been shaped by the buildings we have designed.

The open plan office was designed or conceived I believe about 70 yrs ago. It was a concept from Germany I believe arrived here around 68 and has remained. I mean you would have thought we could create something better and no I dont mean pool tables and a bar in the office. It is a design that may well be the factor that decides on which AI interface carries the day.

And while we are on buildings — what if your out of town business park office becomes a target for higher rates? That’s maybe a thought for another day.

Text, messaging apps etc → those can be voice driven but many type.

And what guardrails are in place. What if instruction not understood properly and no one checks.

Can you imagine 100's of headsets bouncing around as the push back is ramped up. Push back from the AI assistant somewhere in California, so maybe laid back, but imagine if Texas.

Within all this though I have genuine questions. I write in long hand fountain pen. I can dictate I can type but there is something dexterous about ink and paper. I think while I write.

Will we all pause more if suddenly the keyboard warrior becomes a voice AI warrior?

The bigger picture here is that our relationship with the world is changing at probably the fastest pace since the Luddites rebelled because their wages were threatened. It was not the fear of the machine it was the knowledge that pay could or would be reduced because of the machines.

That 150 desk office stays. Just a few staff, talking to 150 bots.

And on that happy note I will leave you with that actual thought.