AR and VR Can Transform Government Work Beyond the Pandemic—If Done Right

The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the “future of work” from a high-level thought experiment into a daily reality. Employers are still scrambling to realize visions of a digitally connected, networked workforce that seemed like a distant future just a year ago. While videoconferencing, cloud computing, and other technologies have played an important role in realizing this vision, more and better innovations are needed as virtual work becomes the new reality rather than a short-term fix.

Writing in FedScoop, Ellysse Dick says there is an evident need for transitioning to AR/VR solutions in the federal government, now that so many federal employees are working from home. Achieving this widespread use will require investment in new resources for the digital workforce yet such investments will help address immediate concerns about staffing, training, and service provision during a global pandemic, while also positioning the federal workforce to excel in a dynamic and increasingly networked environment.