Digital technologies like AI are set to restructure the worlds of work and employment. A new research programme from the University of Leeds is working to help businesses, communities and policymakers understand what that means.
The ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work – also known as Digit – is a leading international centre of excellence for research into workplace digitisation. We caught up with Digit Co-Director and Pro-Dean for Research and Innovation at Leeds University Business School, Mark Stuart, to find out more.
“There is a great deal of speculation and hype about the potential impact of digitalisation, most recently in terms of developments in AI, on the world of work,” Stuart explained. “Digit as a research centre is focused on understanding just what is happening in the new world of work.”
Credit: University of Leeds
Working alongside the University of Sussex and other partner organisations, Digit will draw together a large pool of experts to shape the research and offer vital insights for policy makers. For the second phase, Digit will review what’s needed for sustainable digital transformations to take place across the UK.
With so many questions remaining unanswered – surrounding the transformation of work, the implication for skills and the certainty of future jobs – this research has never been more important.
“Digital technologies are transformative and seem to be a fundamental part of all our lives. But there is also a lot of hype around how widespread they are in the workplace and the likely impact of such technologies on the future of work,” said Stuart. “Some commentators foresee a quite bleak future where humans are replaced by technology, while others see more positive and progressive futures.”
“It’s essential to understand what is happening in practice and to provide evidence for this. Most significantly, how technologies are introduced in organisations and how they impact work is an open question and there is much potential for actors to shape the introduction of digital technologies to improve the nature and experience of work.”
Digit’s research is already underway, with the University of Leeds leading the Digital Management Practices at Work Survey of employers. This is the largest nationally representative survey of employers in the UK and explores the different types of technologies already being adopted, along with their potential implications.
A key finding to date has been that UK employers are investing relatively little in advanced digital technologies, like AI. More surveys in the future phases of the programme will help identify new questions and frame an extensive programme of research into these organisations. This will benefit everyone from the government to businesses and trade unions, along with the wider academic community.
Find out more about the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre here.
