Inside the AI bubble there’s a new future of work

Instead, the pitch was feverish among the 2,725 Ai and machine learning startups who dominated the exhibition floor. And with trillions of dollars of investment continuing to pour into AI, irrational or otherwise, it’s no wonder. 

This year’s Summit featured few sessions where AI was not the dominant topic. But while dancing robots entertained the crowd, there was one theme which did emerge from the many conversations. 

The future of work is no longer some theoretical pitch; tech is reshaping it in real time and by the time of writing, a myriad of new tools designed to automate or enhance labour will no doubt already have broken ground. 

As robotics firms offer bots which can do the work of four for the salary of one and a half humans, a host of AI companies promise efficiencies at scale in every conceivable sector. 

To paraphrase Leonard Nimoy, soon it might be work Jim, but not as we know it. 

We asked Dan Gardner, CEO of Code and Theory, Mickey Carroll, science and tech reporter for Sky, Neil Barrie, CEO at 21st Century Brand and Henry Furman, founder at Pull Systems, for their take.

How do you see the future of work evolving in the next three years?

What role is technology playing in reshaping how businesses operate and grow? 

Are we approaching a tipping point in how labour and value are defined in modern work?

In our sector of early adopters, the impacts are being felt most keenly and are visible all around as long-established models and delivery structures tumble. 

Our own AI Marketing Pulse report (coming soon) found that 92% of marketers were confident in use of AI, and Chat GPT has only just turned 3! In the weeks since Web Summit, the landscape has already shifted dramatically at IPG/Omnicom and with the Netflix v Paramount Warner Bros takeover tussle threatening to redraw the media landscape once more. 

The pace of change will continue to accelerate. Companies and workers better buckle up, whether the AI bubble bursts or not.