Recent advances in digital technologies have led to significant changes in the way work is done in organisations. The advances have enabled digitisation of physical assets, seamless communication, virtual collaboration, and automation of tasks previously not possible. On one hand, technology pessimists believe that emerging technologies will take away jobs. They also highlight other concerns such as stress caused by entanglement with mobile technology and the implicit racial bias occurring due to increased use of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, technology optimists suggest that non-routine jobs may not only exist but also surge. Technology optimists imagine greater possibilities for augmentation of work. When routine and rule-based work is outsourced to technology, they point out that humans may “step up” to higher level of cognition to see the big picture or “step forward” to create technology solutions (Davenport & Kirby, 2015).
To better understand the implications of emerging technologies on the future of work, we conducted a panel discussion with senior industry leaders. The discussion was focussed on understanding what opportunities get created, how jobs get transformed, what competencies become essential, and what challenges are posed by emerging technologies. The emerging themes from the discussion highlighted creative tensions in the way technology interacts with work. The findings from the panel discussion extend our understanding of the psychological and socio-economic impact of digital technologies and the competencies required for the future. Technical knowledge may have half-life but fundamentals such as creative imagination, meticulous planning through consultation and communication with all stakeholders, and disciplined execution assume greater significance in the new era. Further, technology is not a given and the future depends on the priorities that we set, emphasising the non-deterministic stance of technology (Leonardi & Barley, 2010) and the role of human thinking in the shaping of a desired future.
