Work and AI

AI will reshape work. The question is not whether jobs will change—they will. The question is whether that change will be managed in ways that benefit workers or concentrate power and wealth further.

History offers a guide. Every major technological transition—from electricity to automation to computing—created new categories of work while eliminating others. The difference between transitions that broadly shared prosperity and those that concentrated it was not the technology. It was the choices made about who had authority over how the technology was deployed.

In an AI-driven economy, the stakes are higher because AI touches more of what work means. It can augment human capability or replace it. It can make work more meaningful or more extractive. It can create new opportunities or deepen existing inequalities.

The path forward requires:

• Reskilling and education: Investment in helping workers develop skills that complement AI rather than compete with it.
• Shared prosperity: Mechanisms to ensure that productivity gains from AI benefit workers, not just capital.
• Worker voice: Including workers in decisions about how AI is deployed in their workplaces.
• Safety nets: Social infrastructure that protects people during transitions.

The future of work in an AI-driven economy is not predetermined. It depends on the choices we make now about who has authority over how AI is deployed, and whether we build institutions to ensure those choices reflect the interests of everyone affected.