The Workers of the Future

“The Workers of the Future” is a futuristic artwork exhibited in the Lurich courtyard on the Ülemiste City campus, which deals with the changing of work and identity in the age of technology. It is an AI-created futuristic mannequin, to which the artists of the Estonian Youth Theatre gave a physical form. The artwork was expanded in 2026, when a mannequin was also added to the rear cabin.

The work embodies the idea of the worker as a phenomenon in constant development, influenced by artificial intelligence, automation and digital tools. It does not depict a specific person, but rather a possible future scenario – a hybrid identity where the human and technological sides intertwine.

Artificial intelligence functioned as a creative partner, offering a visual starting point, on the basis of which the theatre artists gave the idea a material form.

Visually, the work feels at the same time familiar and strange. The human form creates recognition, while the futuristic details shift it slightly away from reality. This contrast invites the viewer to think about what the role of humans will be in the future – whether technology is a tool or a partner, and how it affects our everyday life.

“The Workers of the Future” fits naturally into the Ülemiste City environment, where innovation and development are at the centre, while at the same time offering an opportunity to pause and make sense of the direction in which the world of work is moving.