Sep 21, 2026 · 40 min
Workplaces turn physical space into a strategic advantage
Human: Leading Workplaces in the Age of AI
As AI reshapes work, leaders must decide how offices, infrastructure, and human connection can improve performance without displacing judgment or trust.
- 1Communal workplaces can strengthen culture, collaboration, and talent attraction when designed around everyday human interaction.
- 2Landlords and occupiers create more value through strategic partnerships than through isolated negotiations over rent and improvements.
- 3AI can improve operations and customer service, but authentic communication and human judgment remain essential to leadership.
Don't miss
Nicole Nicholson and Jamie Hodari distinguish AI’s operational potential from the human judgment and authentic communication it should not replace.
The brief
Nicole Nicholson of Verizon and Jamie Hodari of CBRE argue that real estate can generate enthusiasm, productivity, and community—not just house employees efficiently.
A Miami workplace redesign shows how shared meals, coffee, and informal interaction can turn underused space into a practical engine for collaboration.
Leading across large, multigenerational organizations requires authenticity, humility, and accessible communication—qualities that cut through an increasingly AI-generated information environment.
The conversation pushes landlords and occupiers beyond rent negotiations toward portfolio-wide partnerships aligned with business goals, flexibility, labor markets, and shared value.
The standout tension arrives around AI: Verizon’s fiber, power, and connectivity assets may support future data needs, but technology should enhance—not replace—human judgment.