The UX of Web Browsers are due for an update.
For most knowledge workers, the next few years will be defined in part by a complicated relationship with generative AI. While some jobs will undoubtedly be replaced, many others will be much harder to replace, including those that require human empathy, judgment and reliability. But the baseline level of efficiency will rise, unlocking unprecedented opportunities to accelerate processes and increase enterprise productivity. In this new era, the people and firms who harness the potential of generative AI most effectively are those who will win.
This kind of profound transformation is nothing new for knowledge workers and their employers – over the past few years, work has changed all around us. Pandemic restrictions may be gone, but accommodations like remote work setups and an overall refocus on employee experience and retention are here to stay. At the same time, the number of apps and screens users must access to carry out their daily tasks has skyrocketed, with workflows growing ever more complex and investment in technology increasing across the board.
To some, these topics might seem unrelated. To me, they all hint at the same underlying question: how can enterprises make the most of the innovations occurring today and prepare for the future of work? There are many possible answers, but the systems that knowledge workers encounter every day are a good place to start. And among those, the browser is in most dire need of evolution.Specialization yields productivity
Generally speaking, the more specialized a piece of technology, the more effective it is. In the workplace, we’ve seen this dynamic play out time and again. Messaging is one notable example. Years ago, many of us relied on AIM or Yahoo Messenger to rapidly communicate with colleagues and clients. Over time, those consumer products were almost entirely replaced by enterprise solutions like Slack and Microsoft Teams, which offer significant advantages in terms of integration, collaboration, security and beyond.
Yet when it comes to the browser, many knowledge workers remain tethered to products designed to surf the public internet, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. And while there are enterprise browsers on the market today, these tend to be pure security plays.
