[Jjinbit] "The Future of Work's Key Word is Conflict... Productivity Must Be Increased by Collaborating with Machines" [Office Shift] (38)

Interview with 'Futurist' Seo Yongseok, KAIST Professor
Discusses Challenges Such as Gaps Between Companies When Introducing Technology

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is a shortened form of 'Jung Hyunjin's Business Trend' and 'Real Business Trend,' a segment that showcases trends in changes in work. The segment within Jjinbit called 'Office Shift' carefully examines changes in offices triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to lay the foundation for exploring answers to work styles through experiments we have experienced together. It will be delivered to you every Saturday or Sunday. After 40 installments, it will also be available as a book.

Smartphones are an essential item for modern office workers. Even outside the office, they can make calls, check emails and messages, and handle complex tasks all with just a smartphone. Without a computer on the office desk or a laptop in a bag, most work can effectively be done with a single smartphone. Smartphones have become indispensable not only in daily life but also in the workplace.

This change has occurred over a period of 10 years. According to the Korea Communications Commission, in 2013, two out of three people thought they could live daily life without a smartphone. However, over the past decade, this ratio has halved to 30%. Now, seven out of ten people feel that daily life is impossible without a smartphone. Especially among those aged 10 to 40, 90% say life is impossible without a smartphone.

When technology changes, not only daily life but also the work environment changes rapidly. On the 23rd, Professor Seo Yongseok of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Center for Future Strategy at the Moonseul Graduate School, a futurist, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "I think the biggest change we have experienced in the past decade is the change in the way we work." He added, "The most important driver of this change is technological advancement," and predicted that the generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology craze this year could once again significantly change the way we work.

Professor Yongseok Seo, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Director of the Moonseul Graduate School of Future Strategy Center

Professor Seo is the first Korean disciple of Jim Dator, a world-renowned futurist and former president of the World Future Studies Federation (WFSF), and a professor at the University of Hawaii. He researches futures studies and social change theory. He is writing a book analyzing the impact of technology, demographic changes, and climate change on our work and occupations, tentatively titled 'The Future of Work and Occupations.' We asked Professor Seo how work and work performance methods have changed since COVID-19.

◆ "In the future, it will be human-machine vs. human-machine competition... the four-day workweek is the trend"

Professor Seo emphasized that collaboration between workers and technology will be important in the future work environment. He predicted that the way we work will change dramatically depending on how workers collaborate with technology. His response came amid growing concerns about job loss threats due to the AI boom and increased wariness of machines and technology.

"Workers are collaborating with technology and machines much more than before. Just as computers, the internet, and smartphones did in the past, collaboration with technology and machines will continue to dramatically change the way we work."

Remote work introduced during the COVID-19 period is a representative example of overcoming a crisis by changing the way office workers collaborate with technology. At that time, companies and workers worldwide connected with each other without gathering in physical spaces, using laptops, the internet, messenger apps, and video conferencing technology. When asked what has changed most in the work environment since the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Seo answered as follows.

"At first, many people felt uncomfortable with non-face-to-face work, classes, and meetings, but gradually the perception that 'it's doable once you try' increased. Previously, non-face-to-face methods or remote work were simply unfamiliar. Although COVID-19 has ended, many meetings and classes are still conducted remotely. It saves costs and time, and people feel comfortable with this method itself."

This means the psychological barrier to remote work has been broken down. Such technology that has permeated settles in our workplaces, changing the perceptions of companies and workers and the way they work. Professor Seo also talked about how we should respond to these changes in the future.

"Technological progress will greatly affect not only the way we work but also changes in labor and employment environments. Simple and mechanical tasks will eventually be replaced by machines or technology. Technological advancement has always created new jobs and ecosystems while replacing some jobs.

The important thing is to increase productivity through collaboration between technology and humans. Instead of viewing machines as competitors, we need to consider how to cooperate with machines. In the future, society will not be one where humans compete with machines but where human-machine teams compete against other human-machine collaboration teams. Ultimately, technology and machines are just tools, and humans should consider how to use machines to increase productivity."

Professor Seo evaluated that introducing a four-day workweek would not be far off if productivity increases by adopting technology and machines. Until the end of World War I in 1918, workers worldwide worked six days a week, 56 hours. Now, weekends are for rest, and a five-day workweek is standard. In Korea, when switching to a five-day workweek about 20 years ago, there were concerns about economic damage, but eventually, the 40-hour, five-day workweek was established.

"The four-day workweek definitely seems to be the trend of the times. Technological progress is expected to significantly reduce human working hours in the future. Even if people work less, productivity can increase through collaboration with machines and technology, so the productivity of a five-day workweek could be similar to or even higher than that of a four-day workweek. If that happens, is there really a need to work five days a week?"

◆ Numerous challenges such as bridging the technology gap... "Conflict mitigation is important"

Although Professor Seo foresees that technological progress will change work styles and workplace environments, he expects various problems to arise as new technologies enter our workplaces. There are challenges our society must solve. The first concern is the gap between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting technology.

"There will definitely be differences between large corporations that have the capacity and capital to actively embrace technological innovation and SMEs or small businesses that do not. Many SMEs and small businesses still rely on human labor. There are many fields where collaboration with machines is not possible. If the four-day workweek is institutionally imposed on them, it could cause significant damage to sales and profits. This could lead to conflicts between companies and employees, but it could also escalate into conflicts between SMEs, small businesses, and the government."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Professor Seo explained that factories in provincial areas with many SMEs and small businesses have difficulty recruiting young workers and have a high proportion of foreign workers. He also expressed concern that these companies lack the capital and know-how to introduce technology and machines. If the four-day workweek is legally and institutionally introduced in such companies, they will inevitably face difficulties.

Securing personnel skilled in handling technology and machines is also a challenge to be solved. Understanding and applying technology is directly linked to productivity, but there is a shortage of such personnel. Professor Seo emphasized the need to establish an education system as technology deeply penetrates the work environment.

"Compared to the speed of technological advancement, human skill acquisition and the education system that supports it are lagging. Many workers who fail to acquire technology are falling behind. Their income is also lagging. In reality, not many people can perfectly use new tools such as AI, big data, and cloud computing. For this reason, companies cannot find enough talent they want, and the government struggles with chronic unemployment problems."

Because of these challenges, Professor Seo predicted that the process of building new work environments and work styles will not be smooth. When asked what he thinks is the core value to keep in mind in creating the future of work, he answered "conflict."

"The future of work is created by technology. In this process, various stakeholders will clash, and conflicts will arise. The most important keyword in creating the future of work is ultimately conflict. How to prevent, mitigate, and manage conflicts is crucial. If conflicts are proactively anticipated and mitigated, the situation can proceed relatively smoothly."