Will AI replace human jobs? We express our hopes and fears on AI and the future of work

As the leading AI countries, businesses and AI experts gathered this week for the first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park to discuss the global future of AI, we take the opportunity to reflect on the Economics Policy Talks event: AI and the Future of Work which we hosted earlier this term to debate the implications of artificial intelligence on the future of work.

Organised jointly by the Department of Economics at Warwick and three student societies - the Warwick Economics Summit, Warwick Economics Society and Warwick Women in Economics Society – the event took place at Warwick Art Centre’s theatre. Nearly 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, mainly from the Department of Economics and other related disciplines like Politics, Philosophy and Computer Science, attended the fascinating debate.

The Chair, Dave Coplin, opened the event by introducing himself and our panellists:

• Dave Coplin (Chair), former Chief Envisioning Officer at Microsoft and founder of the Envisioners, who advises organisations and governments around the world to help inspire and drive technology-enabled transformations.
• Professor Carl-Benedikt Frey, a distinguished expert in the field of AI and its implications for the workforce, Director of the Future of Work Programme at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
• Dr Abigail Gilbert, a public policy researcher and expert in AI governance within the workplace, Director of Praxis, based at the Institute for the Future of Work.
• Gunisha Aggarwal (BSc Economics, Year 2)
• Joseph Brennan (BSc Economics, Year 2)

To start the debate, Dave Coplin gave a short introduction to the topic by acknowledging the potential that this new technology can bring in all aspects of our lives, and proposed looking into four big changes that AI will drive across our society and across our economy:

• Automation: instead of thinking about humans versus machines, we need to start thinking about what happens when we have humans plus machines and how this can elevate human capability.
• Skills: the skills that we need are not whether we can memorise the knowledge but instead whether we can use the knowledge that exists around us to find out what to do next.
• Big data: data is the fuel of artificial intelligence but the problem with data is that it’s generated by human beings, who carry unconscious biases which in turn prevent the algorithms from doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
• Accountability: our responsibility to add to the algorithm to get the right outcome.

The discussion that followed, which drew on questions submitted by students prior to the event, focused on how AI will transform roles in the current job market and how it will shape the jobs of the future; what ethical considerations and safeguards should be prioritised when developing generative AI systems; what policies would be crucial to ensure a fair and inclusive transition for workers and what skillsets and training would be of importance to prepare for this technological transition.

Here are some key issues and priorities our panellists have highlighted:

Reflecting on the potential benefits of AI, Dr Abby Gilbert said:

“Once we begin to deconstruct what AI is and what it can practically do, that will probably make us also more able to ensure that we’re targeting it towards things that enable better productivity gains and direct it in ways that are more socially purposeful.”

On hopes and fears it creates for current students, Joseph said:

“If an AI can be cheaper than a graduate then they’d go with the AI and that’s a kind of a fear for me, but also we see AI being used as a tool rather than a replacement which is quite hopeful, but it means that I have to become more technical as digital literacy becomes much more helpful, something I wouldn’t have needed 5-10 years ago.”

Asked about an ideal employer of the future, Gunisha said:

“I think my ideal employer would leverage this new technology as a force for good, to drive forward not just productivity but also innovation. So, I’m hoping that as AI permeates different sectors, jobs are going to evolve, and I hope that my employer would focus on human innovation, creativity and intuition while leveraging AI tools and providing me and other employees with training to face this new reality.”

Joseph’s comment on future employers’ plans to introduce more automation mentioned the need for transparency but also inclusivity:

“Companies should be inclusive and friendly about their plans, but also about not using AI in a negative way. There are lots of ways they could use it for surveillance or track your work movements which would create a negative work culture, and not treating me like a robot, but treating me like a human, which is the main thing I’d want from an organisation.”

Answering the question on future skills needed, Prof Frey said:

“In a world where you have a lot of algorithms competing against each other and making us more similar in terms of content we produce, I think in-person communication is something that has the potential to make you stand out and is worthwhile investing in.”

Dr Gilbert added the importance of developing critical thinking as a core skill of the future:

“Critical thinking and identifying the right questions are important, so my recommendation would be to start a reading group with your friends, read philosophy, be critical about what’s happening in politics, debate with each other and that would definitely set you in good stead.”

To find out more about this topical debate, please watch the event recording on our YouTube channel.

Economics Policy Talks - AI and the Future of Work, 10 October 2023Link opens in a new window

Photo: Co-organisers of Economics Policy Talks – AI and the Future of Work (from left to right)

Society executive members 2023/24:

Ananya Jain - Vice President Warwick Women in Economics Society, Charlie Atkins - Warwick Economics Summit Coordinator; Lancelot Wilson - Warwick Economics Summit Coordinator; Henry Milner – Econ Today Coordinator, Warwick Economics Society; Matthew Murray - President, Warwick Economics Society and Freya Sperinck, President of Warwick Women in Economics Society.