AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work Initiative to Address the Effects of Technological Advances on the Workforce

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business has announced a new initiative to address how the rapid pace of technological change is driving both economic and social transformation in the workforce.

The AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work Initiative will focus on research across disciplines, convening leaders and decision-makers to participate in events and discussions, and education to both prepare students for the emerging complexities related to the future of work and to inform business leaders and policy makers on how to devise solutions that help the most vulnerable members of society and foster the common good. It also will coordinate its efforts across the school to provide a holistic approach to its mission.

“As leaders in business education, it’s our responsibility to study and teach about the changing nature of work brought about by a tremendous rate of innovation and technological advancement,” said Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley Chair. “As a Jesuit institution, it also is important for us to evaluate how these changes affect the most vulnerable members of our society and provide solutions that do not leave them behind.”

Drawing from Georgetown’s global reputation and network, its Jesuit tradition, and its access to business leaders and policy makers in Washington, D.C., the initiative has three focus areas:

1) The Promises and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence (AI): The initiative will develop and study AI algorithms that help individuals and organizations make decisions. It will assess the suitability of such machine learning tools across different domains, the most significant barriers to adoption, and individual privacy implications.

2) Technology and the Workplace: The initiative will assess the workforce disruption of new technologies, the need for new skills and workplace roles, and the importance of equitable access to lifelong learning. Research also will include how companies can leverage technology to build high-performance organizations and solve previously intractable problems for the common good.  

3) Digital Technology and Inclusive Growth: The initiative will explore how technology can be leveraged to promote equitable growth and reduce wealth inequality in society.

The initiative will be led by Alberto Rossi, Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor of Finance, whose research focuses on fintech and machine learning, among other finance topics. Additionally he will work with an advisory group of executives at the forefront of how AI and analytics are transforming the workforce, who will connect their real-world experiences and with the activities of the initiative.

“We envision a world in which technological advances serve people, so we will explore how new technologies can be deployed to help individuals improve their everyday and professional lives,” Rossi said. “Through research and convening events with industry leaders, we also hope to bring this perspective to the business and policy community.”

As part of Georgetown McDonough’s focus on fields of the future, the AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work Initiative joins the Business of Sustainability Initiative in addressing the world’s most complex issues through the lens of business. The initiative will collaborate across the school’s other faculty-led research centers and institutes, will collaborate with degree programs — including the new M.S. in Business Analytics and the MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights, and will explore the future of work as it relates to all of the school’s academic areas and disciplines across Georgetown’s campus.

“By building our capabilities around the future of work in an interdisciplinary way, faculty who teach across all of our programs — from the undergraduates to master’s students to our Custom Executive Education offerings, and even alumni lifelong learning opportunities — will bring this perspective and knowledge to all McDonough students,” Almeida said. “Graduates of our school will be equipped to meet the business challenges posed by AI and new technologies and advance their organizations in a way that values the people behind them.”