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I had a lot of fun trying out a 3D avatar earlier this year. There are a ton of companies working on 3D avatars, and I recently had the opportunity to test out some of their prototypes. I was super impressed by what I saw. One of the biggest improvements over what we use now is the use of spatial audio, where speech sounds like it's actually coming from the direction of the person talking. You don't realize how unusual it is to have meeting audio only coming from your computer's speaker until you try something else. There's still some work to do, but we're approaching a threshold where the technology begins to truly replicate the experience of being together in the office. The second area where we'll see the lasting effects of digitization is education. Unlike offices, schools will go back to only in-person instruction except maybe for some limited remote options for older high school students. What will change, though, is how we use digital tools to enhance the way kids learn. The ability of new digital education tools to transform the classroom is, of course, dependent on kids having access to technology at home. The access gap has narrowed since the start of the pandemic and will continue to narrow, but a lot of kids still don't have a decent computer or reliable, fast internet at home. Finding ways to expand access is just as important as the development of new innovations. The pandemic accelerated the development of dynamic curricula, as more teachers had to rely on digital tools to give students assignments during the periods when schools were closed. We're starting to see that curriculum become more responsive as demand goes up, and it will only become more tailored to the individual needs of students and teachers in the years ahead. The intention is that these new tools will supplement classroom learning rather than replace it. (If there's one thing the last two years made clear, it's that many kids--especially younger ones-- don't do well sitting in front of a screen doing classwork all day.) If you're a student, you'll be able to get feedback from the software while you do your homework online. The content will be more interactive and personalized to you, helping you focus on areas where you need a bit more help while boosting your confidence by giving you problems you're more comfortable solving.