HBS Managing the Future of Work

The phrase “gig worker” often conjures an image of a driver providing a routine service for low pay. But freelancers provide services on a contracted, or “gig,” basis in a wide range of fields from cosmetology to carpentry. In this episode, Joe hosts Thumbtack CEO Marco Zappacosta, whose platform matches hundreds of thousands of professionals with contract jobs across the country. Marco provides a unique view into the shared challenges these varied “pros” face. Will platforms like his provide the solutions?

How should we think about improvements in artificial intelligence? Bill speaks with Joshua Gans, co-author of "Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence," which argues that AI advances can be boiled down to making better predictions. As a component of a vast array of activities, enhanced prediction will have ripple effects throughout the economy. What new functions and business models will it create? What difficult questions will it force society to answer?

In a world where jobs are constantly changing, the workforce must be able to continually add skills, and receive credit for them, to remain relevant. In this episode, Joe speaks with Anant Agarwal, MIT professor and CEO of education platform edX, who says “the future of work is the same as the future of learning.” Launched in 2012 as a joint venture of Harvard and MIT, edX has brought to market innovative solutions for today’s learners. But will their approach address the needs of tomorrow's workforce?

Improvements in machine learning and image recognition, and gradual acceptance by regulators, have brought innovative companies the threshold of the radiology lab. Bill sits down with HBS Professor Shane Greenstein to discuss one such company and the challenges of creating effective applications and bringing them to market. Greenstein also shares insights on how AI will impact radiologists, often labeled vulnerable to automation. Will they be freed from routine tasks? Or will they soon be a thing of the past?

Foreign talent is critical to the success of American companies. But the barriers to hiring skilled foreigners are rising: increased bureaucratic scrutiny and new regulations make it harder to bring workers into the country, and hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric pushes talented foreigners away. Bill speaks to Envoy Global CEO Dick Burke about the challenges companies across the country face and how Envoy helps them navigate the complex immigration environment to meet their talent needs.

Goldman Sachs, a bastion of Wall Street for over 150 years, has been remaking itself using new technology. Marty Chavez, co-head of securities and former CFO, has played a key role in this transition as workflows, position titles, and business models across the bank are reimagined. As he says, trading and coding are now “literally” one and the same. Hear him describe how technology is changing what it means to be a bank and give tips to executives working to navigate the transition to AI.

AI has been predicted to replace humans in professions ranging from customer service representatives to medical doctors. But many have pointed out elements of human work that would be difficult to imagine being performed by AI. HBS Professor Raj Choudhury discusses his investigations into uses of technologies based on machine learning. AI, he says, will be a valuable tool in the hands of experts. Listen to hear why.

The recent wave of geopolitical events, including Brexit and changes in U.S. policies, are creating uncertainties for firms that must manage global talent. Rina Montalvo, News Corporation’s Director of Global Mobility, has an inside look at the impacts. How are these events affecting deploying talent globally? How are large companies gearing up to handle them?

As jobs change faster and faster and companies work to prepare their employees for the future, it is more important than ever for firms to assess the talent they have and understand skills they need to compete. David Blake, founder and Executive Chairman of Degreed and author of the new book The Expertise Economy, talks to Joe about how companies can learn to speak the language of skills and empower employees working to gain them.

If you ask her about emerging technologies, Sophie Vandebroek – VP of Emerging Technology Partnerships at IBM – can tell you firsthand how the pace of change is moving faster and faster. From AI to blockchain, Bill talks with Sophie about how businesses are harnessing the cutting edge of advanced technologies and what one of the world’s largest enterprise technology companies has learned from putting them to use. Link to transcript.