Focused and Panoramic Perspectives on the Future of Work
Dissertation proposal
Samuel Westby
Past Talk
Hybrid
Thursday
Sep 12, 2024
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10:00 am
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Sixty percent of job titles today did not exist before 1940. The work we do constantly evolves in response to technological advancements and changing economic conditions. Understanding this change can impact educational curricula, hiring decisions, and public policy. The first proposed chapter explores AI's potential in Human-AI teams. In a study with 29 teams of 5 collaborating on a puzzle task, AI agents successfully modeled human mental states, identified misunderstandings, and improved simulated team performance. The second proposed chapter examines how an AI agent's voice and contribution quality affect team performance. Findings reveal that function, not voice type, is key to agent design, though perceptions of anthropomorphism can vary unpredictably.The third proposed chapter analyzes a dataset of online U.S. job postings. How do required skills shift in response to economic and technological change?Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to research on the future of work. It covers specific examples of how AI can improve team performance, and addresses the macroeconomic trends as a result.

About the speaker
About the speaker
Sam is a fifth-year PhD candidate at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute. He is advised by Alicia Sasser Modestino to explore how jobs evolve over time. His research also includes work on Human-AI collaboration and the future of small group interactions. Sam holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sam is a fifth-year PhD candidate at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute. He is advised by Alicia Sasser Modestino to explore how jobs evolve over time. His research also includes work on Human-AI collaboration and the future of small group interactions. Sam holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.