Toolkit for the Future of Work

Catalog description

Course description (optional): The future of work is ________. Starting with this fill in the blank question, this class will examine the opportunities and challenges in the imminent future of work affected by the rise of automation, the advent of artificial intelligence, and the global pandemic. Students will identify, research, analyze problems related to the changes in the way we work, and propose project ideas that can help workers survive, prepare for, adapt to, or resist the changes. How can we make art and design projects—practical or speculative—to raise awareness about existing issues in the workplace such as intensified automation and algorithmic hiring bias? How do we empower and uplift workers in an ever so close future of ubiquitous surveillance and the gamification of everything? What are some creative ways to bring the team together in the age of remote work? These are among the questions that the class will explore. Activities in class will include topic-based workshops, discussions, project ideation, and student presentations. At the end of the class, students will have gained more understanding about the implications of the future of work, improved their research and presentation skills, learnt a few project ideation methodologies, and completed a research-based creative project proposal and prototype related to the topic of the class.