We explore how significant future shocks—especially those related to technology, demographics, and energy—will impact work, workers, and our society.
Our logo represents how the future of labor (the fluid-L shape) is anchored by technology at the center and interconnected with demography and energy—illustrating how the future of labor shapes and is shaped by these interrelated forces.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are set to profoundly reshape labor productivity, employment, and inequality. The design and implementation of these technologies, along with their interaction with humans, carry significant socio-economic and political implications. Simultaneously, AI's expansion is driving increased energy demand while human footprints evolve due to demographic trends such as aging populations and declining fertility rates.
The Future of Labor Lab investigates how technological shifts, alongside demographic change and escalating energy demand, will redefine the nature of work, transform organizations, influence inequality, and reshape governance. The Lab is directed by Prof. Yong Suk Lee at the University of Notre Dame and our work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab, McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business, and the Keough School of Global Affairs.