AI and the future of jobs

In this week's news roundup for IT leaders, we bring you the latest in the ongoing debate about the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of jobs. This week, The World Economic Forum took place in Switzerland, where political and economic leaders along with executives from companies including IBM, Microsoft, Facebook and Google parent Alphabet gathered to discuss the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on the future of jobs and society. Speaking at the event, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said that the growth of AI has surprised him, but he's optimistic overall. As Adam Satariano reports for the Chicago Tribune, Brin said that automation would ultimately free up people to work on more intellectually demanding, creative or artistic pursuits while AI took care of the mundane tasks. In a Wall Street Journal recap of the event, Sam Schechner reports that while many executives and economists share an optimistic viewpoint, "some said this week that they also worry the spoils of the next revolution could be inequitably shared – and that the transition to new models of work could be brutal for many workers."