For generations, the American experience involved going to school, getting an education, entering the workforce and having a career. Today, technological advancements, demographic shifts and the ever-changing economic landscape threaten to change the definition of work. Robots are replacing humans and lines of code are replacing bricks and mortar. Could these and other emerging trends signal the end of work as we know it?
The Atlantic hosted its inaugural Future of Work Summit, where we looked into the future and dove into strategies for America to fully address the opportunities and rising challenges we face in an era of increased automation and globalization.
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Speakers
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Michael Amiridis Chancellor University of Illinois at Chicago -
Joie Chen Journalist and Contributor AtlanticLIVE @joiechen -
Michael Chui Partner McKinsey Global Institute @mchui -
Steve Clemons Washington Editor at Large The Atlantic @SCClemons -
Christine Congdon Editor, 360 Magazine Steelcase @cscongdon -
Nicholas Eberstadt Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy American Enterprise Institute -
David Fano Chief Product Officer WeWork @davidfano -
Jason Fried Founder and CEO Basecamp @jasonfried -
Sara Horowitz Founder and Executive Director Freelancers Union @Sara_Horowitz -
Cheryl Hyman Chancellor City Colleges of Chicago @chancellor_ccc -
Joseph Okpaku Vice President of Government Relations Lyft @JosephOkpaku -
Bruce Reed Co-Chair, Future of Work Initiative The Aspen Institute -
Leah Reich Senior User Researcher Slack @ohheygreat -
Rebecca J. Rosen Senior Editor The Atlantic @beccarosen -
Scott Santens Basic Income Recipient @scottsantens -
Barry Schwartz Emeritus Professor of Psychology Swarthmore College @barrysch -
Kristin Sharp Executive Director, SHIFT: The Commission on Work, Workers and Technology New America @ktsharp2 -
Arun Sundararajan Professor, Stern School of Business New York University @digitalarun -
Derek Thompson Senior Editor The Atlantic @dkthomp
Agenda
Note: All times are CT
- Wednesday, October 26
- 9:00 a.m.WelcomeMargaret Low, President, AtlanticLIVE
Abigail Carlton, Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation - 9:15 a.m.Are Robots Taking Our Jobs?Michael Chui, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute
With Derek Thompson, Senior Editor, The Atlantic - 9:35 a.m.Will Washington Lead or Follow?Bruce Reed, Co-Chair, Future of Work Initiative, The Aspen Institute
With Steve Clemons, Washington Editor at Large, The Atlantic - 9:55 a.m.Do We Need Work to Be Happy?Barry Schwartz, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Swarthmore College
With Joie Chen, Contributor, AtlanticLIVE - 10:10 a.m.Meeting Workers Where They Learn
Produced by our underwriter Lumina Foundation*Dewayne Matthews, Vice President of Strategy Development, Lumina Foundation
With Jesse O’Connell, Strategy Officer, Lumina Foundation
*This session is produced by our underwriter Lumina Foundation, and not by The Atlantic’s editorial team. - 10:20 a.m.Is There a Future for Higher Education?Michael Amiridis, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Cheryl Hyman, Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago
With Joie Chen, AtlanticLIVE - 10:45 a.m.Break-
- 11:00 a.m.The Sharing EconomySara Horowitz, Executive Director and Founder, Freelancers Union
Joseph Okpaku, Vice President of Government Relations, Lyft
Arun Sundararajan, Professor, Stern School of Business, New York University
With Rebecca J. Rosen, Senior Editor, The Atlantic - 11:25 a.m.Atlantic Video: "Will the Future of Work Be Different for Women and Men?"-
- 11:30 a.m.Missing Men and the Future for WomenNicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute
Kristin Sharp, Executive Director, SHIFT: The Commission on Work, Workers, and Technology, New America
With Derek Thompson, The Atlantic - 11:50 a.m.Income Without WorkScott Santens, Basic Income Recipient
With Steve Clemons, The Atlantic - 12:10 p.m.Atlantic Video: “Body Doubles: A New Way to Work From Home” -
- 12:15 p.m.How We WorkChristine Congdon, Editor, 360 Magazine, Steelcase
Leah Reich, Senior User Researcher, Slack
With Joie Chen, AtlanticLIVE - 12:35 p.m.Where We WorkDavid Fano, Chief Product Officer, WeWork
With Rebecca J. Rosen, The Atlantic - 12:55 p.m.When We WorkJason Fried, Founder and CEO, Basecamp
With Derek Thompson, The Atlantic - 1:15 p.m.Closing ThoughtsMargaret Low, AtlanticLIVE