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Cited by 104Labor market dynamics and wage inequalityDigital Economy and Work TransformationEthics and Social Impacts of AI

When machines think for us: The consequences for work and place

Open access
Clifton, Judith, Glasmeier, Amy, Gray, Mia·2020·Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society
DOI 10.1093/cjres/rsaa004
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Abstract

Abstract The relationship between technology and work, and concerns about the displacement effects of technology and the organisation of work, have a long history. The last decade has seen the proliferation of academic papers, consultancy reports and news articles about the possible effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on work—creating visions of both utopian and dystopian workplace futures. AI has the potential to transform the demand for labour, the nature of work and operational infrastructure by solving complex problems with high efficiency and speed. However, despite hundreds of reports and studies, AI remains an enigma, a newly emerging technology, and its rate of adoption and implications for the structure of work are still only beginning to be understood. The current anxiety about labour displacement anticipates the growth and direct use of AI. Yet, in many ways, at present AI is likely being overestimated in terms of impact. Still, an increasing body of research argues the consequences for work will be highly uneven and depend on a range of factors, including place, economic activity, business culture, education levels and gender, among others. We appraise the history and the blurry boundaries around the definitions of AI. We explore the debates around the extent of job augmentation, substitution, destruction and displacement by examining the empirical basis of claims, rather than mere projections. Explorations of corporate reactions to the prospects of AI penetration, and the role of consultancies in prodding firms to embrace the technology, represent another perspective onto our inquiry. We conclude by exploring the impacts of AI changes in the quantity and quality of labour on a range of social, geographic and governmental outcomes.

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  • Most authors consider that only the advent of strong artificial intelligence (general AI), involving fully agentic and autonomous AI algorithms with potentially greater capabilities than human beings, could reasonably lead one to adopt a strict determinism perspective.

    “Most authors consider that only the advent of strong artificial intelligence (also called general AI), involving fully agentic and autonomous AI algorithms with potentially greater capabilities than human beings, could reasonably lead one to adopt a strict determinism perspective(Braga & Logan, 2017;Clifton, Glasmeier, & Gray, 2020).”

    From Algorithms as work designers: How algorithmic management influences the design of jobs (2022) · cites this paper as Clifton, Glasmeier, & Gray, 2020

  • There is neither a universal definition of AI, nor an established blueprint to build one.

    “There is neither a universal definition of AI, nor an established blueprint to build one [4,90].”

    From The sustainability of artificial intelligence: an urbanistic viewpoint from the lens of smart and sustainable cities (2020) · cites this paper as [90]

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Authors
Clifton, J., Glasmeier, A., & Gray, M.
Affiliations
  • Universidad de Cantabria (ES)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Clifton, Judith
ORCID
Venue
Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2020-03
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
3-23
ISSN
  • 1752-1378 (ISSN-L)
  • 1752-1386
DOI
10.1093/cjres/rsaa004
OpenAlex
W3010430764
Cited by
104
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 5 · 2017: 1
FWCI
9.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
Locations
  • Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Labor market dynamics and wage inequality
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Economy and Work Transformation
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Keywords
artificial intelligence, job displacement, future of work, technology and employment, management consulting, definition of artificial intelligence

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