An easy-to-use platform for creating digital workers  
CategoriesSustainable News

An easy-to-use platform for creating digital workers  

Spotted: Today, human employees spend hundreds of hours doing repetitive and mindless intellectual tasks such as data entry, client prospecting, and form-filling. Automation is the natural solution to this problem, but, traditionally, automation tools have been built by individual organisations to perform individual tasks, which creates bottlenecks for their deployment at scale. 

To tackle this, startup 11xAI has created Platform X, a user-friendly, no-code platform accessible to individuals from various professions. This technology allows for the creation and deployment of ‘digital workers’ that can streamline workflows, whether for tasks that are highly specific to an individual or organisation, or broad general purposes. 

Platform X is particularly beneficial for small businesses, which haven’t traditionally had access to automation at the scale that can be achieved by their larger peers. Without this access, small businesses risk being left behind as the economy is increasingly filled with automated agents. The ability to easily create digital workers is therefore especially important for this segment of the market.  

To demonstrate the power of its platform, 11xAI has developed Alice, a ‘digital’ sales representative that automates outbound sales efficiently and at a lower cost than humans. The company reports that Alice has so far sent over 10,000 emails, saving early adopting sales teams thousands of days of work. Its research also indicates that emails sent by Alice have three times higher response rates than those sent by humans. 

Although outbound sales were chosen to demonstrate the power of Platform X, the possible uses of the technology are extremely broad. And this potential has convinced investors, with the startup receiving $2 million (around €1.8 million) in pre-seed funding in August of this year.

Springwise has spotted other ways technology is transforming the workforce, including by predicting future skills gaps and supporting employee wellbeing online.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

Reference

Workers of Art designs studio space using materials “relegated to landfill”
CategoriesInterior Design

Workers of Art designs studio space using materials “relegated to landfill”

Indian architecture studio Workers of Art has converted a former storage space into its own plant-filled office, using recycled and repurposed waste materials in almost every aspect of its design.

Called WOA Second Home, the office is located in Kochi, Kerala, and occupies a 1,450-square-foot (135-square-metre) concrete structure that was previously used for storing tiles.

Aiming to “underscore the necessity of the curtailment of waste output in architecture,” Workers of Art (WOA) made use of materials that had been “relegated to landfill” including concrete board, PVC pipes and acrylic sheets, to create a workspace that would reflect the studio’s ethos.

Plant-filled office space by Workers of Art (WOA)
WOA has converted a former storage space into an office in Kerala

“The design celebrates the value of materials that might have otherwise been discarded, creatively forming patterns and combining different elements to breathe new life into the space,” said the studio.

“For instance, odd-shaped waste tiles are harmoniously mixed and matched, finding their new home in the powder room. A strikingly repurposed tile piece also elevates the entry steps, underscoring the studio’s attention to detail and innovative flair,” it added.

Organised across one floor, the entrance to the office leads into a large space lined with a zig-zag of ferrocement desks along the eastern wall, next to a meeting table and sample board at the centre of the room and a more private workspace to the west.

Office interior of 'WOA Second Home'
The design uses recycled and repurposed waste materials

A new partition with a large arched opening and blackout curtain leads through to a breakout area and facilities space containing a locker area, kitchen and bathroom.

“The design of the workstations, which meander through the shared workspace, was strategically planned to encourage teamwork while also allowing for individual space,” WOA co-founder Priya Rose told Dezeen.

“The philosophy was to create a workspace that feels like a ‘second home’ – evident in the thoughtful design elements that prioritise comfort, aesthetic pleasure, and a sense of belonging,” she added.

Custom black light fittings on the ceiling were created by repurposing lengths of PVC pipe, while bespoke planters were made using ferrocement lined with blue plastic barrels.

The existing tile floor in the building was retained, with areas that had become cracked removed and infilled with microcement to create contrasting dark grey geometric areas.

Throughout the studio, discarded antiques and over 100 species of local plants were introduced to bring a “homely” quality to the space.

Office interior of Workers of Art studio office
A large arched opening forms a new partition within the office

WOA Second Home has been shortlisted in the workplace interior (small) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

In Madrid, designer Lucas Muñoz used upcycled junk and construction waste to create nearly every interior element of the Mo de Movimiento restaurant.

The photography is by Ishita Sitwala. 

Reference