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For decades, we’ve been told that technology would liberate us from mundane work, yet somehow we ended up more tethered to our desks than ever. Now, groundbreaking research from GoTo suggests we may finally be reaching the inflexion point where artificial intelligence doesn’t just promise freedom—it delivers it. But the real revelation isn’t that AI might make offices obsolete. It’s that AI is creating the conditions for what I call “cultivation-centred work”—an approach that prioritises human development over performative productivity.
The numbers tell a compelling story: 51% of employees believe AI will eventually make physical offices obsolete, while 62% would prefer AI-enhanced remote working over traditional office environments. But here’s what makes this shift profound—it’s not about rejecting human connection. Instead, it’s about reclaiming the autonomy to choose when, where, and how we engage most meaningfully with our work and colleagues.
This aligns perfectly with the core principles of my book, Move. Think. Rest. When 71% of workers say AI gives them more flexibility and work-life balance, they’re describing the conditions necessary for true cultivation. They’re talking about having time to think deeply, space to move naturally throughout their day, and permission to rest when their bodies and minds require it.
What’s particularly striking about GoTo’s research is how it reveals AI’s potential to support the full spectrum of human experience at work. Traditional productivity models demanded we compartmentalise ourselves—show up as disembodied brains focused solely on output. But AI-enhanced work environments are creating space for integration.
When employees report that AI allows them to “work anywhere without losing productivity” (66%), they’re really describing the freedom to align their work rhythms with their natural energy cycles. They can take walking meetings in nature, think through problems during movement, and create the environmental conditions that support their best thinking.
However, the research also reveals a concerning gap that organisations must address. While 91% of IT leaders believe their companies effectively use AI to support distributed teams, only 53% of remote and hybrid employees agree. This disconnect isn’t just about technology deployment—it’s about understanding the difference between using AI to replicate old productivity models versus leveraging it to support human flourishing.
The companies bridging this gap successfully are those asking different questions. Instead of “How can AI make people more productive?” they’re asking “How can AI create conditions where people naturally thrive?” They’re designing AI implementations that support the three pillars of cultivation: movement (flexibility to work in various environments), thought (time and space for deep reflection), and rest (permission to disengage and recharge).
One of the most encouraging findings challenges ageist assumptions about technology adoption. The research shows that across all generations—from 90% of remote Gen Z workers to 74% of baby boomers—people report improved productivity through AI-enhanced remote work. This suggests something profound: when technology truly serves human needs rather than demanding adaptation to machine rhythms, people of all ages can benefit.
This generational unity points to AI’s potential as an equalising force—not in the sense of making everyone the same, but in honouring the diverse ways different people think, process, and contribute.
Perhaps most telling is that 61% of employees—including those working in offices—believe organisations should prioritise AI investment over fancy workplace amenities. This isn’t about choosing technology over human experience. It’s about recognising that true employee experience comes from having the tools and flexibility to do meaningful work in ways that honour their full humanity.
As AI reshapes work, we have a choice. We can use it to create more sophisticated forms of surveillance and productivity extraction, or we can leverage it to finally realise the promise of technology serving human flourishing.
The organisations that choose the latter will find themselves with a profound competitive advantage: employees who are not just more productive, but more creative, more engaged, and more capable of the kind of breakthrough thinking that drives innovation.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform work—it already is. The question is whether we’ll use this transformation to create workplaces that cultivate human potential or merely optimise human output. The GoTo research suggests employees are ready for cultivation. The question is: are they leaders?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Natalie Nixon, PhD, is a creativity strategist, CEO of Figure 8 Thinking, and author of Move.
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