No one knows exactly what the future of work will look like, but many people have opinions. Research involving Belgian newspaper articles and experts shows that public commentators on the topic tend to fall into three buckets: optimists (largely tech entrepreneurs), skeptics (largely economists) , and pessimists (authors and journalists). So, who’s right — should the future involve accelerated progress, degrowth, or something in between? Because each group uses different research and has different points of view, it’s impossible to tell. But it is possible to better understand all three arguments, and to think critically about what you, personally, want the future of work to look like. A robust public debate involving every citizen, policy maker, manager, and CEO is the best way to ensure all voices are heard; after all, the future is what we make it.
