Neil Thompson, PhD.

Technological advancements over the past decade have made tasks that were traditionally only possible for human workers possible to do with artificial intelligence (AI). Such automation promises major changes in the economy, both good (productivity increases, new scientific discoveries) and bad (worker displacement, more powerful bad actors). In this talk, Neil Thompson, Ph.D., Director of MIT FutureTech, will discuss the policy implications of AI task automation. Using an interdisciplinary lens, he will discuss both what is technically possible and also — using a methodology developed in his MIT group — discuss which tasks are economically attractive to automate. Together these will paint a picture of opportunities and challenges facing policy as AI task automation occurs. Audiences will leave with a new understanding of how to boost strategic planning for optimally using AI to fine-tune policy.

The powerful technology advancements of the near future will touch virtually all aspects of life – work, business, economies and society at large. What are the key technologies leaders should familiarize themselves with as they prepare their organizations for the high-tech future? In this fascinating talk, Neil Thompson, Ph.D., director of the FutureTech research project at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, looks at practical applications for rapidly developing and emerging technologies – including even greater advancements in AI and nascent quantum computing and how they may (or may not) provide new avenues of prosperity and growth. In addition, he lifts the curtain on potential implications on jobs, the business world and even geopolitics. Helping audiences understand how technologies evolve and what they mean for society, Thompson’s unique multidisciplinary analysis provides a lens into how business, government and non-profit leaders can prepare now to familiarize themselves with and leverage the powerful tech of tomorrow.

As powerful artificial intelligence systems continue to improve and spread, is it possible to analyze the economics of AI the same way researchers can forecast other technological advancements? According to Neil Thompson, Ph.D., principal investigator at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, understanding the deep trends that are driving AI progress can demystify how AI’s economic impacts will play out. In this revealing presentation, Thompson explores the intersection of tech and money with timely topics ranging from the future of work – is it actually economically feasible to replace humans with AI in some instances? – to sustainability and the cost of the strain that massive computing power puts on the environment. With advanced degrees in both computer science and economics, Thompson applies his unrivaled cross-disciplinary expertise to provide audiences with practical strategies for employing tech trend insights to glean useful economic wisdom, allowing companies to forge a cost-effective, AI-enabled path ahead.