This part is part of our monthly "TED Talk Tuesday" series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here.
Andrew McAfee studies how technology affects business and society — more specifically, how computerization will impact our workforce and economy. In his TED Talk, the principal research scientist at MIT Sloan's Center for Digital Business explains how robots will take our jobs, why that's not necessarily a bad thing and what we can do to prepare our society for "technological unemployment." While radical to some, McAfee's arguments are important consideration for any workforce participant — especially HR leaders, whose work is closely tied to the future of the jobs economy.
Watch the video below and read more for three key takeaways from his talk.
"There is going to be more and more technology and fewer and fewer jobs."
According to McAfee, the world of technological unemployment is at hand. Our cars will soon drive themselves, which means fewer truck drivers. We'll hook Siri up to supercomputer IBM Watson, eliminating most of the work done by customer service reps. And we're already developing machines to replace human warehouse pickers. So, what to do next?
"[We have] the chance to imagine an entirely different kind of society."
The answer is not to run and hide — it's to celebrate. McAfee says that technological unemployment is the best economic news on the planet for two reasons. First, the progression of technology is creating "abundance": more products at higher volume and quality, but lower prices. And second, it frees humanity to stop working and to start innovating, creating and thinking.
"We're going. . . to chart a good course into the challenging, abundant economy that we're creating."
McAfee acknowledges that this flourishing, creative and enlightened society does not come without its challenges. Not everyone has access to the resources of the world's elite philosophers, artists, businesspeople or diplomats — and without work, the lower and middle classes will struggle. However, McAfee points to the promise of education and the fact that the challenges of a "technological" society are increasingly public. He ends his talk on a promising note: If we pay attention to the plain facts before us, we can thrive in the future world of work.
Photo: TED Talks
Recursos relacionados
¿Desea seguir formándose? Explore nuestros productos, las historias de nuestros clientes y las últimas novedades del sector.
Publicación de blog
10 maneras de sacar el máximo partido a las reuniones individuales
Para ser un buen líder, es fundamental mantener reuniones individuales periódicas con el personal. Sin embargo, los empleados suelen odiarlas, ya que carecen de previsión y enfoque; y es que los líderes deben ser conscientes de que el valor de estas interacciones va más allá de la mera formalidad. Para que las reuniones individuales sean eficaces, los líderes deben prepararse para cada reunión, establecer una agenda clara y escuchar activamente las inquietudes y el feedback de sus empleados.
Publicación de blog
Redefiniendo la gestión del trabajo para un mundo nuevo: Perspectivas 2024 sobre RR. HH.
En la intersección entre la tecnología y el personal, los responsables de RR. HH. lideran con audacia las nuevas formas en que las organizaciones navegan por el mundo laboral actual. A medida que nos adentramos en el 2024, y ante el rápido ritmo de cambio impulsado por los avances tecnológicos, las empresas necesitan conocer a fondo las nuevas tendencias.
Vídeo
Para NIPPON GASES el futuro de la formación pasa por identificar el nivel competencial a través de la IA y el análisis de datos
En su objetivo de fomentar la capacidad de aprendizaje de sus empleados y una mentalidad abierta, NIPPON GASES está desarrollando itinerarios de aprendizaje para colectivos específicos y procesos de reskilling y upskilling para necesidades concretas.