The McDonough School of Business launched an initiative Oct. 20 focused on the expansion of  artificial intelligence and digital technologies in the workforce.

The initiative, titled “AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work,” will work to promote research, host speakers and develop educational programs which specifically focus on the impacts of technological advancements on economic and social development in the workforce. The initiative will be led by Alberto Rossi, the provost’s distinguished professor of finance, who will determine the vision of the initiative along with an advisory group.

Rapid technological advances have prompted global businesses and universities to re-examine the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological development in business, according to Rossi.

“The next generation of business leaders recognizes that traditional solutions no longer apply and that technology is transforming the workplace and changing the skills needed to succeed,” Rossi wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Leading research universities and business schools play an essential role in understanding the impact of these technological changes and equipping business leaders with the knowledge to make informed and principled decisions in this increasingly dynamic workplace environment.”

The MSB is looking forward to building its curricular and research capabilities surrounding topics about technology, according to Paul Almeida, dean of the MSB.

“At Georgetown McDonough, we are focused on preparing our students to excel in emerging fields and lead organizations through the tremendous changes that technological advances are bringing about,” Almeida wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Our new AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work Initiative is focused on exploring how artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and more are transforming how we work and what we do. ”

Within the program’s mission, the initiative will specifically study and develop artificial intelligence algorithms to help with decision-making, assess the role of technology in the workplace and explore how technology can promote inclusivity and equity in society, according to the Oct. 21 announcement of the initiative. 

The three focus areas will allow initiative members to study various topics of interest, according to Monica Gamez-Djokic, visiting assistant professor at the MSB and member of the initiative.

“As a psychologist by training, in my own research I am interested in how people perceive new technology in the workplace and the consequences of these perceptions for their behavior,” Gamez-Djokic wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I’m particularly interested in the implications of perceiving automation as a threat to jobs for political attitudes, social relations, and the type of skills people want to develop to remain competitive.”

The Future of Work Initiative will also collaborate with the MSB’s Business of Sustainability Initiative and MSB faculty-led research centers and institutes, as well as degree programs within the school, to explore complex issues through a business lens.

The combination of initiatives offered by the MSB will help prepare students for modern challenges, according to Almeida.

“By building our capabilities around the future of work in an interdisciplinary way, faculty who teach across all of our programs — from the undergraduates to master’s students to our Custom Executive Education offerings, and even alumni lifelong learning opportunities — will bring this perspective and knowledge to all McDonough students,” Almeida wrote in the Oct. 21 press release. “Graduates of our school will be equipped to meet the business challenges posed by AI and new technologies and advance their organizations in a way that values the people behind them.”

While the Future of Work initiative was only launched Oct. 20, the program plans to begin offering events and other opportunities for students in the near future, according to Rossi.

“As we ramp up, we expect to have a stable series of events for students, alumni and policy makers and have a stable set of fellows (students, faculty and external researchers) that contribute to the community through their work and research,” Rossi wrote.

According to Rossi, the initiative’s research will help expand the study of artificial intelligence and technological developments in the business world.

“We envision a world in which technological advances serve people and actively study how new technologies can be deployed to help individuals improve their everyday life and make them more productive members of society,” Rossi wrote.