Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to influence how businesses think about their future office requirements, with occupiers considering its potential impact on both headcount and the amount of space they need.
Savills’ Global Occupier Markets Market Maker H1 2026 highlights AI and technology as factors expected to shape corporate real estate strategies as businesses assess their future workplace needs.
The findings show that occupiers do not expect AI to have a uniform effect on office demand. While some anticipate needing less space, others expect their requirements to grow.
AI and future office demand
Businesses are assessing how greater use of AI could affect workforce numbers, productivity and working practices, all of which have implications for corporate real estate.
For some occupiers, automation could reduce headcount and subsequently the amount of office space required. Others expect AI to support business growth, which could result in larger workforces and additional space requirements.
The findings challenge the assumption that greater adoption of AI will automatically translate into companies occupying less real estate.
Instead, its impact is likely to depend on how individual businesses deploy the technology and what that means for their workforce.
Changing workplace requirements
AI could also influence the type of space businesses require. Changes in how employees work may affect the balance between individual workstations, meeting rooms and collaborative areas, while greater reliance on technology could place more emphasis on the digital capabilities of buildings.
This adds another consideration for landlords and developers when assessing future occupier requirements, particularly where existing offices may need investment to meet changing technology and workplace expectations.
Savills’ research comes as businesses continue to review their real estate portfolios against a wider backdrop of cost pressures, hybrid working and changing employee expectations. AI now adds another factor to those decisions.
Its effect on office demand will not necessarily be measured simply by whether businesses take more or less space. How that space is configured, equipped and used could prove equally important as adoption develops.
