AI + Workforce Transformation (San Francisco)
Fireside chats on trends, scenarios, what's actually being built and deployed, and how to navigate an evolving environment.
AI + Workforce Matters Symposium
We're entering a new era of workforce transformation. The speed and scope of applying AI to human work drives a need for new mindsets and methods in company building.
As part of our work to address challenges bigger than any one startup, we recently convened startup founders, operators, investors, and policy leaders. Our goal is to help startups navigate how to build and endure in this era. The conversations echoed many of the themes Gaurab Bansal (Executive Director) discussed with CNN about AI's impact on work and communities. We're grateful for everyone who joined us last week in San Francisco.
Speakers included:
- Hemant Taneja, CEO, General Catalyst
- Jake Sullivan, Former U.S. National Security Advisor
- Munjal Shah, Founder + CEO, Hippocratic AI
- Brent Orrell, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- James Cham, Partner, Bloomberg Beta
Five themes that emerged from our discussions:
➕ Abundance thinking over scarcity: Startups solve for what others consider impossible. They do it with fewer resources than most. Increasing health outcomes through more care. Reducing the barriers to coding. Reducing red tape using technology to speed access to economic and public benefits. Increasing access to credit. Enhancing physical security. What becomes possible when we build for human flourishing rather than optimization for cost reduction alone?
➕ Trust through demonstrated value: Whether in healthcare, government, or enterprise, trust builds through proven benefits and transparent processes. Real value over promises. Real demonstrations. Clear benchmarking. Evidence of thoughtful leadership. How will startups build trust with customers and workers in order to grow?
➕ Workforce impacts will vary widely: From office workers to factory floors, service industries to other professions, the effects will be different and uncertain. How do you look around corners for workforce impacts relevant to your product? Consider multiple scenarios and revisit them regularly.
➕ AI-driven products challenge our assumptions about work: Both private industry and civil society have knowledge gaps and choices to make. There's freedom to partner in ways that prior generations set aside or couldn't achieve. Responsible Innovation Labs will attempt to do our part to bridge.
➕ The implications reach beyond any single company: From national to economic security, from the prosperity of communities to the dignity and wellbeing of individuals and families, workforce impacts of technology carry high stakes. This dialogue extends far beyond individual startups or investors.
We're talking to more and more startups about these questions and working to create resources based on these conversations. We look forward to bringing more startup voices into this critical dialogue.
