Three years ago, robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and self-driving cars seemed to be coming fast. A widely cited study projected nearly half of all jobs in industrialized countries could soon be performed by robots or AI. In this context, the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future was commissioned in the spring of 2018, tasked with understanding the relationships between emerging technologies and work, to help shape public discourse around realistic expectations of technology, and to explore strategies to enable a future of shared prosperity.
Adopting new technology creates winners and l
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Three years ago, robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and self-driving cars seemed to be coming fast. A widely cited study projected nearly half of all jobs in industrialized countries could soon be performed by robots or AI. In this context, the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future was commissioned in the spring of 2018, tasked with understanding the relationships between emerging technologies and work, to help shape public discourse around realistic expectations of technology, and to explore strategies to enable a future of shared prosperity.
Adopting new technology creates winners and losers and will continue to do so. Involvement of all stakeholders - including workers, businesses, investors, educational and social organizations, and government - can minimize the damage done to individuals and communities and help ensure that the jobs of the future offer benefits that are shared by all. [The authors] explore this inclusive approach by examining the institutional frameworks around work, including how education and training programs can be made more effective and inclusive, as well as new ways of empowering workers who may never have the protections afforded by traditional union structures. This report begins by documenting and diagnosing the challenges facing the U.S. labor market. Next, [the authors] survey the technological frontier to draw lessons about the pace and direction of change and its likely impacts on employment, skill demands, and opportunity. Finally, [the authors] synthesize insights from work and technology to consider how our policies and institutions should innovate to leverage technological and economic opportunities while surmounting the substantial challenges that lie ahead.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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