AI, Automation, and the Future of Work

Catalog description

How will the rise of automation and artificial intelligence transform the future of work? It is not only the nature of how and where we work that will change; policy decisions will need to respond to an ever-changing world of work. What will this look like for different groups of people? What types of skills will be necessary to meet the demands of the future work? This course will introduce students to the different type of technological changes that will characterize the future of work and the types of skills that will be necessary to prepare for work futures. The course covers a range of topics from the rise of machines to the implications of work changes on different groups, the changing demand for hard and human skills, changing policy contexts, and the ways and implications of bias in AI and its associated decision-making. It will also provide a sociological overview of what these shifts mean for broader trends in inequality, class, race, and gender.