In an economy where data is changing how companies create value -- and compete -- experts predict that using artificial intelligence (AI) at a larger scale will add as much as $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. As AI is changing how companies work, many believe that who does this work will change, too -- and that organizations will begin to replace human employees with intelligent machines. This is already happening: intelligent systems are displacing humans in manufacturing, service delivery, recruitment, and the financial industry, consequently moving human workers towards lower-paid jobs or making them unemployed. This trend has led some to conclude that in 2040 our workforce may be totally unrecognizable. Are humans and machine really in competition with each other though?

This series on diversity and inclusion is sponsored by Amway, which supports a prosperous economy through having a diverse workplace. Companies committed to diversity and inclusion are better equipped to innovate and drive performance. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of organizational success, rates of innovation, social mobility, and equality before the law. The good news is that our society is becoming more diverse, more inclusive, and more tolerant. The bad news is that we still have much progress to make before we can consider our society truly equitable.

In the workplace of the future, people will need to be comfortable working alongside digital intelligence, and businesses will need to find the optimal pairing of humans and machines.