Preparing People for the Future of Work

When it comes to the future of work, the big issue is not getting higher education to adopt technology or bypass existing institutions. Rather, the future dilemma lies in figuring out who will pay for the frequency of education and training that is required for us humans to keep up in the next economy.

Uncertainty is our only certainty when it comes to AI and the future of work. This does not mean workers, busi -nesses, and the government have no options to prepare for that future. The most important step they can take is to promote and strengthen workers’ noncognitive skills to enhance their ability to adapt and persevere amid rapid change.

• Most companies are finding it difficult to get ahead of this trend. 87% of the C-Suite say they’re struggling to find talent with AI skills, and 77% say AI is disrupting their business strategy.


• Leaders say AI will replace many functions at their organization, but employees don’t realize how much they’ll be affected. Only 20% of workers think “mos

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So what will be the implications of this for humans? One thing that is already happening is job automation. According to research by Frey and Osborne at Oxford which assesses 702 occupations and their probability of being computerised in the coming decades, 47% of all American jobs are at risk. Historian and futurist Harari puts it well: ‘the ninet

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so much of the way we’ve derived our identity, our sense of accomplishment, achievement, contribution, value, self-worth, is subject to radical overhaul in the next decade and the one following that and beyond. More jobs will be automated, augmented, enhanced, and yes, eliminated. And certainly new jobs will be created, but we can’t wait for them t... See more

“Doing more with less” becomes achievable

Last year, droves of knowledge workers attended ominous all-hands meetings where executives challenged them to “do more with less.” In the past, mandates like this have rightly elicited eye rolls. However, as of 2023, this ask seems less unreasonable.

Today, every knowledge worker can access powerful AI tool... See more