The Best of 2024: 10 Articles That Shaped Our Thinking About the Future of Work
From 'Death of the CV' to building your own digital workforce and building a society with less formal jobs...
Here are the most popular articles from 2024 on Workforce Futurist and Work 3 Newsletters. We know that each one had over 10,000 views, and a few of them started some interesting conversations about work.
Thanks to everyone who read, shared, commented, challenged…
See you in 2025!
1 - Death of the CV
Stifle the groan folks, because this time it might really be different….this mind bending post on the ramification of AI-enabled candidates meeting AI-enabled recruiters and how this might produce disparate outcomes such as idiosyncratic candidate profiles generated on the fly as candidates apply, and permanent talent passports which can be ported from one walled city to another. Great read. CV will indeed be dead, but they will still be around, albeit in zombiefied state.
Hung Lee in Recruiting Brainfood.
2 - Building a Better World Without Jobs
What if the end of jobs as we know them isn’t a dystopian nightmare but an opportunity to redefine purpose, productivity, and prosperity?
This essay explores the radical shift from 'jobs' to 'value creation,' challenging the very foundations of our work systems.
If you’ve ever questioned why jobs exist—or imagined a world without them—this one’s for you.
I love blissful optimism, but only in the movies: in the real world it doesn’t work.
Bertrand Duperrin gave his observations (en français) on the article.
Let us know what you think…
Read the full article here, or a video of my 20 minute keynote speech.
The article was also translated into spanish in two parts by Salvador Lorca.
3 - The Next Wave of AI: Building Your Own Digital Workforce
What if you could deploy a team of AI-powered digital workers tailored to your needs? This article dives into the cutting-edge world of personalised AI agents, exploring how they’re set to transform productivity, creativity, and the way we think about work itself. Ready to build your own digital workforce?
4 - Beyond Prediction: Shaping Your Work Story in an Uncertain World
Turns out we can’t predict the future, but we can predict your prediction.
This article, based on academic research, unpacks seven powerful narratives driving change in the workplace.
From ‘trusting the algorithm’ to ‘human augmentation’ and ‘job destruction’.
Which story do you believe, and which will you help write?
(This is a longer article, you can read it in full on a browser here.)
5 - Retiring Retirement
The average 20th-century worker studied for 20 years, worked for 45 years, retired at 65, then died 14 years later.
So far we have trashed the CV/resume, the Job, and explained why there is no future of work! Next up, we challenge a fairly successful but very 20th century invention, Retirement.
the average life expectancy of women in France, Italy and Japan is past 86 years.
the time from official retirement to actual life retirement is getting bigger every year and society can’t fund it anymore.
So what does an individual do? Read about some hot 🔥 strategies to have a healthy and fulfilling life in the 21st Century…
6 - Reinventing Work for the Digital Golden Age
There have been five tech revolutions in the last 250 years.
When new technology is introduced we typically have excitement, investment, and some wild extrapolation, Capital and Labour shift positions uncomfortably, riches are made, there is new hope, then there are the riots.
What can we learn from history to use technology to build a Golden Age of Work?
This article outlines five different pathways, from a decentralised work-matching infrastructure to lifelong career investment, and new mechanisms for financial security.
7 - Will Digital Workers Revolutionise Work?
Meet Alice and Jordan—AI digital workers poised to redefine the workplace.
In this article, we explore how these next-generation digital colleagues are transforming industries, challenging traditional roles, and sparking a revolution in how work gets done. Are you ready to collaborate?
8 - The End of Typing
Imagine a workplace where keyboards are relics of the past.
This article explores the rise of voice AI and how it’s revolutionising communication, training, and creativity. As typing fades into history, what new opportunities will this shift unlock for the future of work?
9 - 2034 – A Day in the Working Life
Not only do I like this for all the emotive allure of equity, pace, inclusion, creativity and meaningful work, it doesn't even sound outlandish and utopian. Perry Timms.
Every morning, as my neural notification device gently awakens me to optimal alertness, I'm grateful for our new education system. We each receive a Lifelong Learning Wallet – a personal education budget tied to our Digital Identity that provides ₿10 million (equivalent to $1 million today) for developing skills, or knowledge…
A working day in 2034 - with Equity Tokens, Lifelong Learning Wallets, and intelligent seamless Work-Matching Platforms.
10 - Planning for Non-Linear Career Trajectories
This article dives into a thought-provoking exchange between Paul Millerd, championing the unconventional path, and Al Dea, focused on structured growth. From redefining success to challenging the idea of careers altogether, this conversation will spark new ideas about careers.
We hope some of these articles resonated with you, if so let us know!
With festive joy,
Andy and Matteo
Loved the non-linear career piece. Thanks for writing these.