Author Archive: marisabs

DEI Talks | “AI and the Worlds of Work“ by Prof. Christopher Mathieu (Lund University)

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The talk “AI and the Worlds of Work “ will be presented February the 25th, at 11:00, in room I-105, moderated by António Coelho (DEI).

Abstract:

“The effects of AI on work is a central point of discussion and negotiation in many fields. Machines and mechanical tools have replaced some but not all physical manual labour. The assumption is that AI will bring similar changes, eradicating some jobs, transforming many and having little impact on others. At the moment we know very little about which jobs AI will replace, transform, increase or have little real impact on, but we know that the scope of work and jobs is wide, and that changes do not occur automatically, they are usually negotiated, and negotiations have already begun to take place in a number of sectors. While industrial machines largely replaced low-skill, low-paid physically demanding manual work, the assumption is that AI will increasingly have an impact on high-skill, high-qualification, and high-consequence cognitive and even “creative” work. As AI poses challenges to workers of higher standing and better organized, the deployment and use of AI is subject to negotiation and contestation, both at workplaces and in central negotiations between employers and employee representatives. Worlds of work differ from technical and social perspectives, and as we already see, AI is confronted differently dependent upon what types of employees are being impacted and in which jurisdiction. This lecture examines the various reactions to the “threats” and “possibilities” of AI among different types of workers from telecoms to entertainment in Europe and North America, arguing that institutional factors play a significant role in these negotiations and subsequent use and deployment of AI.”

About the Speaker:

Chris Mathieu is Reader in the Sociology of Work and Organisations at the Department of Sociology, Lund University, and previously (2002-2014) Associate Professor at the Department of Organisation, Copenhagen Business School. From 2015-2018 he was coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project QuInnE (quinne.eu) – Quality of Jobs and Innovation Generated Employment Outcomes. His primary research areas include film production as well as medical education and practice. Book publications include: Careers in Creative Industries (Routledge, 2012); Accomplishing Cultural Policy in Europe (Routledge 2022); and The Oxford Handbook of Job Quality (OUP, 2022). A recent article on AI as a focus area of labour negotiations is: Ilsøe, A., Larsen, T. P., Mathieu, C., & Rolandsson, B. (2024). Negotiating about Algorithms: Social Partner Responses to AI in Denmark and Sweden. ILR Review, 77(5), 856-868. https://doi.org/10.1177/00197939241278956f

Applications for the Prof. Doutor Raul Vidal/Deloitte Prize are now open

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The period for submitting applications for the Prof. Doutor Raul Vidal/Deloitte Prize has been running since July 19th. Students from the Master in Informatics and Computing Engineering and the Master in Software Engineering can apply until August 31st for the prize which is now in its third edition.

This award is intended to honour a recent graduate from one of these FEUP courses who has distinguished themselves in curricular activities, for the quality and innovation of the work carried out within the scope of Software Engineering, for their involvement in activities to support other students, namely in activities associated with FEUP’s student groups, and also for their involvement in social and solidarity initiatives.

The award was proposed by Deloitte, with the support of FEUP, through DEI, with the aim of honouring the Professor Emeritus of U.Porto in recognition of all his work at FEUP in the area of Informatics Engineering which has resulted in FEUP’s projection at national and international level and in the high-quality preparation of its students for the labour market, making FEUP unquestionably one of the leading schools with excellent technological teaching.

All the information on the application process and regulation can be found at: Prémio Prof. Doutor Raul Vidal – DEI – Departamento de Engenharia Informática (up.pt)