Gen Alpha expects AI-led offices, robot co-workers and 30-minute commutes: IWG study

Generation Alpha expects a radically different working life from their parents, marked by hybrid work, minimal commuting and heavy use of robots and AI, according to a new global study by International Workplace Group (IWG), which surveyed 11–17-year-olds.

Nearly nine in ten (86%) anticipate an unrecognisable office culture by 2040, with one of the biggest shifts being the elimination of long commutes. Only 29% believe they will travel more than 30 minutes to work, with 75% prioritising reduced commute times to devote more time to their families. India’s congested urban centres—such as Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Hyderabad—currently face average one-way commutes of 45–55 minutes, despite metro networks improving mobility for over 10 million daily riders in 29 cities.

Technology is expected to reshape workspaces further, with 88% of Gen Alpha anticipating regular use of smart assistants and robots. They also foresee VR-led virtual meetings (38%), workplace gaming areas (38%), sleeping pods (31%), personalised climate control (28%) and augmented reality meeting rooms (25%). A third (32%) even predict the end of email, replaced by smarter collaboration tools.

Hybrid work is projected to be the dominant model, with 81% believing flexibility will be the norm in 2040. Current workplace trends in India reflect this shift, with hybrid roles growing not just in metros but also across Tier-II and III cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Indore and Bhubaneswar. Flexibility is already a key factor in job choices—60% of Indian employees would reject roles without flexible hours and 56% would turn down jobs that restrict work location. Only 17% of Gen Alpha expect to work from a main office full time, citing benefits like reduced travel stress, more family time, improved well-being and higher productivity.

IWG Founder and CEO Mark Dixon said the findings show that “flexibility in where and how they work is not optional, but a must,” as younger generations see daily commuting as redundant in a tech-enabled future.