The future of work is in hot debate all over the world. The World Economic Forum, the ILO, the International Confederation of Trade Unions, consulting firms, and universities like MIT have task forces asking what work will look like in the years ahead. There are two problems with much of these debates. The first is an over-fixation with technology. The second is the view that technology has a trajectory all its own as if there is some iron law of physics that will determine its shape and effects. I challenge both of these premises: technology will of course be important; it is one of the big "megatrends" that will influence work of the future.

At its core, innovation is about solving problems and building solutions to address common challenges. At the risk of stating the obvious, the enactment of the most comprehensive tax reform in more than 30 years has created a host of new challenges for companies. Technology -- including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing -- is absolutely part of the solution that enables companies to evolve and meet the challenges brought on by tax reform. All it takes is a little automation inside the finance function. The impact of tax reform goes well beyond re-calculating taxes owed.

Economists are watching China very closely, and they're worried. Autor cites the possibility of a trade war between the U.S. and China or Mexico as one of the foremost concerns economists have in 2017. He also lists the possibility of a housing or financial crisis in China as a major concern for global markets that could upset demand worldwide. On the other hand, we probably shouldn't be worrying too much about robots stealing our jobs--yet. "I'm not yet convinced that we will face an unemployment problem created by AI," writes Autor.