Human work : in the age of smart machines

"We are living through a time of upheaval, with increasing threats to global health, democratic institutions, and the world's economies. But behind the alarming headlines is another issue that must be quickly addressed: the role of workers is being transformed-and often rendered obsolete-by automation and artificial intelligence. As Jamie Merisotis, the president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, argues in HUMAN WORK: In the Age of Smart Machines, we can-and must-rise to this challenge by preparing to work alongside smart machines doing that which only humans can: thinking critically, reasoning ethically, interacting interpersonally, and serving others with empathy. In Human Work, Merisotis, author of the award-winning 2015 book AMERICA NEEDS TALENT, offers a roadmap for the large-scale, radical changes we must make in order to find abundant and meaningful work in the 21st century. His vision centers on developing our unique capabilities as humans through a lifetime of learning opportunities that are easy to navigate, deliver fair results, and offer a broad range of credentials-from college degrees to occupational certifications. By shifting long-held ideas about how the workforce should function and expanding our concept of work, he argues that we can harness the population's potential, encourage a deeper sense of community, and erase a centuries-long system of inequality. As the headlines blink red, now is the time to redesign education, training, and the workplace as a whole. Yes, many jobs will be lost to technology, but if we promote people's deeper potential, engaging human work will always be available."