In August 2021, I attended the Work, Employment and Society Conference of the British Sociological Association. The conference was online and keynote talks have been gradually published on the BSA’s Youtube channel.

One keynote that I attended and wanted to share on this blog (as I know many careers researchers and practitioners are interested in the impact of technology on work)  was from Paula McDonald (QUT Business School, Australia).

She spoke about the trends, technological capacities and impacts of automation and artificial intelligence in four dimensions of work and employment. These four dimensions are: recruitment and selection; the allocation of tasks; tracking and evaluating productivity; and the effects on jobs and labour markets.

She used a conceptualisation of automated management as systems of control enabled by a broad range of interrelated technologies and methods that shape the conditions of work and workplaces. She explored what strategies developed by scholars, regulators and labour representatives can help ensure accountability and the protection of workers.

If you want to get a really good overview of some of the big issues in the technological transformation of work, this lecture is well worth a watch.