Logitech unveils workplace devices amid AI work shift

Logitech used its LogiWork event in Sydney to launch two new workplace devices and set out its view of how work tools and artificial intelligence are reshaping office life in Australia.

The new products were Mobi Fold, which Logitech described as its first foldable mouse for mobile use, and Spotlight 2, a wireless presentation remote for workers who regularly speak to in-person and hybrid audiences. The launches sat alongside a broader discussion about staff expectations to work across offices, homes and public spaces rather than within a fixed hybrid pattern.

Joseph Mingori, Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile & Audio Solutions Business Unit at Logitech, told attendees that the old distinction between office work and hybrid work had given way to a more fluid model. Workers now expect the same ease of use while travelling or moving between meetings as they do at a desk, he said.

To support that argument, Logitech cited research showing that 72% of consumers own a mouse, but only 26% use one while working on the move in public places. It presented that gap as evidence that portability remains a problem even as mobile working becomes more common.

Mingori also pointed to the pressure many workers feel when presenting. Logitech cited internal research showing that 64% of people become anxious before speaking in public and 76% want to feel prepared and in control before a presentation.

Those figures shaped the pitch for Spotlight 2, which includes haptic feedback, digital highlighting and a guided breathing exercise feature. The focus was less on adding functions than on addressing a common source of stress in modern office work.

Comfort and strain

Beyond the product launches, Logitech executives argued that the quality of workplace tools has become a broader management issue. Art O'Gnimh, Vice President and Business Unit General Manager at Logitech, said many workers are spending longer at work without a corresponding gain in output.

He cited figures showing that Australians are working an hour longer than they used to while productivity has not improved. He also said the average person makes 500,000 mouse clicks, one million keystrokes and 10 kilometres of mouse movement across a desk each year, reinforcing the case for greater attention to ergonomics and comfort.

The discussion then shifted from physical strain to uncertainty in the labour market. O'Gnimh said low unemployment and heavy technology spending had not removed anxiety from the workforce, especially as businesses adapt to AI and other large changes in how work is organised.

He argued that digital systems alone do not change workplace practice unless workers have the physical devices needed to use them. In that view, microphones, cameras, keyboards and pointing devices are part of how AI reaches employees rather than a separate layer of office equipment.

AI and trust

A panel session broadened the debate to how Australian companies are trying to define "working smarter". Rochelle Tognetti, AI Evangelist for Asia Pacific at Adobe, said the idea should centre on creating the conditions that let people do their best work rather than simply adding more tools to daily routines.

Nikki Chowdhury, Director of Audience (SEO, Shopping, Platforms & AI) at Vogue Australia, said staff are increasingly expected to perform several functions at once. She pointed to journalism as an example, where writing often sits alongside filming, editing and audio work, particularly for teams moving between venues and filing from temporary workspaces.

Shay Hamama, Chief Technology & Operations Officer at Luxury Escapes, said AI and other tools could improve decision-making when used alongside personal judgement and team input. Dr Ben Hamer, EGM for AI Products at Xero, focused on a different barrier to that ambition: trust.

Businesses in finance judge AI less by sophistication than by predictability and whether it uses the same source data a human would use for the same task, Cheah said. Hamer also referred to KPMG research that ranked Australia among the more mistrustful countries on AI adoption, suggesting local business culture places a premium on proving that technology is acting in the user's interest.

Tognetti added that leaders should not mistake hesitation over new systems for simple resistance. Change itself places a cognitive burden on workers, she said, and employers need to account for that strain when introducing new tools and processes.

The panel also raised questions about who inside organisations should lead AI deployment. Moderator Dr Ben Hamer said adoption is often run through IT teams even though the workplace effects extend far beyond technical functions. He cited research suggesting that 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail and that only 3% to 5% of HR leaders are leading workplace AI rollouts.

That mismatch, he argued, helps explain why companies struggle to turn trials into routine practice. The discussion suggested that technology decisions may need broader input from operations, HR and frontline teams if employers want staff to use new systems consistently.

As the session closed, panellists urged business leaders to test AI in the context of their own organisations rather than rely on broad assumptions about the technology. Cheah said leaders should "take the time and energy to properly experiment with the technology in their own business."