By 2030, over 300 million jobs are expected to be impacted by AI globally, making this the biggest shift in the way we work since the Industrial Revolution.
At the recent Dubai launch of Ladies Who Lead, while chatting with professionals from various backgrounds — including some working for top VCs in the US — the discussion veered towards the evolution of work.
With AI taking up several functions, many are convinced that people will soon end up working just 4-5 hours a day and enjoy way more leisure. In fact, Hollywood businessman Ari Emanuel — who has raised $3 billion to launch an events company — is betting his venture on shorter workweeks and a leisure economy.
A work trend that’s gaining traction is fractional work, where people are employed by various companies to provide expert services on a project/part-time basis. This arrangement enables them to divide the week to simultaneously work on multiple projects. It’s a middle ground between working full-time for a company and working as a consultant/freelancer for several. It gives flexibility to the employee while reducing costs for the employer — a win-win situation.
Another flexible policy that came up was microshifting or the ability to break your workday into blocks to fit your schedule. For instance, you can begin early, and step away from work for a few hours to pick up your child from school or visit the doctor, and come back to resume work afterwards. Or you could go home and work for a bit after dinner. And the idea is to make it inclusive and keep it gender neutral so everyone gets to benefit.
There was also talk of how it may soon not be necessary for students to go to college. After all, degrees no longer guarantee job security. As per a PwC report, job roles most affected by AI evolve 66% faster, which leads companies to value real-time abilities over academic qualifications. The only way to survive is to be adaptable, keep learning, and master AI tools.
To be sure, while these trends are becoming popular in the West, their widespread adoption in India will take time. But a shift has clearly begun.