The holograms are coming: tech companies' big bet on the future of remote work
![_The holo colleagues are coming [Paper Boat Creative/Stone via GettyImages]_](https://cdn.robinhood.com/static_content/mwphzyq69oso/en-US/assets/files/5UhkYmuZxXRtgDUT5taZBK_1_GettyImages-608880221.jpg)
![_The holo colleagues are coming [Paper Boat Creative/Stone via GettyImages]_](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Can't skip the pants on this one... Holograms are getting closer to becoming a workday reality. Think: hologram colleagues giving speeches at all-hands (already happened), and team meetings where you can see everyone's shoes.
Do it for the gram... Holo style. As tech companies move to hybrid WFH models, they're investing in holo-tech to fight Zoom fatigue blues. But holograms aren't just for employees — they're a bet on the future of remote communications. In the last few months:
- Google unveiled Project Starline, an effort to create a video-chat system that gives participants 3D depth (it looks like a trippy mirror... straight out of Black Mirror).
- WeWork is partnering with a holo tech company to bring holograms to 100 WeWorks around the globe. The program kicks off this month.
- Microsoft intro'd Microsoft Mesh, a "mixed-reality" service that displays life-size 3D avatars and content through smart glasses.
Holograms could be the second coming of Zoom... and companies could pay big bucks for them. WeWork is already charging $2.5K for holograms to be displayed on one standard HoloPod. Holograms could offer the best of both worlds in a hybrid future: the flexibility to WFH, paired with the bonding benefits of an in-office experience. But holo tech is also complex, expensive, and likely years away from being adopted. And pants are definitely required.