Call for abstracts AI@Work Conference

Artificial Intelligence (AI)systems are entering professional, social, and civic contexts at a rapid rate. While   AI   is   not   new,   the   data   and   computing   power   that   are   now   available   are   creating opportunities  as  well  as  threats  for  the  future  of  work,  with  applications  that  were  for  along  time merely hypothetical. At AI@Work we will bring together scholars from disciplines that have a stake in this phenomenon, to explore how AI is impacting the present and future of work, as well as what might  need  to  change.  Each  academic  discipline has  its  own  track  (see  below),  giving  space  to explore  local concerns.  But  since  we  see  benefit  in  discussing  relevant  topics  across  disciplines,  we will  group  successful  submissions  thematically.  That way,  participants  will  be  exposed  to  ideas  and developments from other fields, a format that is ideally suited to the interdisciplinary nature of the AI@Work phenomenon and conference.

LABOUR LAW & ECONOMICS

AI  is  increasingly  being  used  in  the  workplace  to  automate  tasks,  as  well  as  to  make  personnel decisions   about   whom   to   recruit,   hire,   retain,   promote   and   discipline   or   discharge.   This implementation  of  AI  at  work  has  significant  economic  and  legal  implications.  We  invite  all stakeholders  (included but not  limited to academics, law and policymakers, worker representatives and  technology  companies)  to  submit  papers  across  a  range  of  research  topics  relating  to  the economic effects and legal implications of adopting AI technologies in the workplace. We welcome a variety  of  research  methods  and  disciplinary  approaches,  including  theoretical  exploration  and empirical studies (both qualitative and quantitative). Possible topics could include:

• How does an employer’s use of AI affect the work that its employees do, or other aspects of the employment relationship?
• When  AI  is  used  to  make  employment  decisions,  what  is  the  impact  on  employee  privacy  and nondiscrimination rights?
• How does an organization’s use of AI affect its organizational structure?
• How does the GDPR’s regulation of automated decision processes affect  the  use  of  AI  in  the workplace?
• What  can  be  learned  from  the  GDPR  about  the  possibilities  and  limits  of  direct  regulation  and the alternatives available for addressing the economic and legal impacts of AI?
• How  might  the effects  of AI  differ  across  occupations  and  industries?  Which  ones  will  gain  and which ones will lose?
• What will be the effect of AI on inequality?

COMPUTER SCIENCE

The current state of computer science research considering the application of AI in social and work environments  requires  more  socio-technical  perspectives  that  integrate  social  sciences,  humanities and  technology. We welcome  a  variety  of  research methods  and  disciplinary  approaches,  including theoretical exploration and empirical studies (both qualitative and quantitative). We  invite scholars and  practitioners  working  at  the  intersection  of  computer  science  and  other  disciplines  to  present papers across a range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

• What  work  and  innovation is needed  to  address  the  needs  and  interests  of  online  workers  in designing AI systems?
• How  to  improve  diversity  in  the  composition  of  teams  and  how  these  make  engineering decisions?
• To what extent and how should we revisit the typical design pipeline to ensure AI systems have beneficial, safe and just outcomes?
• How can we adopt and adapt software engineering methods and documentation to address the practice, needs and social requirements of AI developers?
• How to integrate certification and regulatory frameworks in the design of AI systems?
• How  can  we  build  more  reflective  practices  for  developers  that  help  them  address  social implications, going beyond ethics checklists?
• How to integrate and/or actively involve expert researchers’ learnings from history of science and Science and Technology Studies?
• Methods   and   policies   for   dealing   with   bias   and   discrimination   and   for   designing   for accountability, transparency, inclusion, privacy, justice, etc.
• Distributed AI applications, e.g. making use of edge computing and federated learning
• Integration of  increasingly  automated  and  intelligent  systems  with  humans  in  collaborative environments
• Methods  to  facilitate  a  human-centric  approach  to  AI  at  work  considering  human  factors  and humans-in-the-loop

BUSINESS

We   welcome   papers   that   explore   the   impact   of AI   technologies   on   how   professionals   and organizations cope  with the  emergent  changes  in their work, and how  managers and organizations respond. We welcome papers based on empirical studies (both qualitative and quantitative) as well as conceptual papers.A non-exhaustive list of relevant research topics includes:

• How do intelligent  machines   automate,   augment  and  informate   work  and  organizational processes?
• How are changes in the nature of work afforded by AI technologies?
• What questions does AI raise regarding responsibility, ethics and justice in the public and private sector?
• How does AI professional expertise and the evolution of professions?
• How does AI   shape   knowledge   work,   and   how   knowledge   is   acquired   and   shared   in organizations?
• The  consequences  of AI  and  algorithmic  management  for  how  workers  are  managed  and  how they respond and perform
• Questions  about  accountability  and  decision  making,  and  how  AI  has  consequences  how workers, managers and organizations make decisions and pursue accountability
• The impact of AI on individual creativity and management of innovation
• Culture and the impact of AI on organizational culture
• The  relationship  between  AI  and  the  organization  of  work  and  value  chains,  including  the emergence of labor platforms
• How AI implementation and use creates new forms of work and has unintended consequences
• Effects  of  the  emergent  work  changes  on  organizational  boundaries,  business  models  and entrepreneurship

HUMANITIES

AIplays an increasingly important role in our economy and is in fact more and more in control of us.The  far-reaching  digitization  of  labour due  to  AI  already  raises  fundamental  ethical  and  societal issues,  such  as  job  polarization  and  unemployment.Most  of  us  are  unprepared  for  this  rapidly changing  world  of  working.  Should  humans  make  a  diligent  effort  to  remain  relevant  in  the workplace  of the  future?  If  AI/robots  will  take  over  our  jobs,  where  do  the  humanities  stand?  We invite   researchers,   policy   makers   and   representative   of   businesses   to   present   papers   which investigates these questions, and among others, the following questions:

• What human work is still remaining and what is the effect on our human dignity?
• Will the implementation of AI into recruitment lead to inclusion or exclusion of some groups?
• Will ‘being human’ ensure resiliency in an era of disruption of the labour market?

Submission Information

Those wishing to participate in the conference by presenting a research paper/report are requested to  submit  an  extended  abstract (around  800  words)  by  October  18,  2019 CEST.  Applicants  should include  their  title,  institutional  affiliation,  and  indicate  the  division  to  which  their  work  belongs (business, labour law & economics, humanities or computer science). Abstracts should be send to submission@reshapingwork.net. You may also contact Marleen Huysman (m.h.huysman@vu.nl)  with  any  questions you may have about scholarly contributions to this conference. Notification of acceptance will be sent in the first half of November 2019.

Practical  Information

AI@Work  2020  will  take  place  on  March  5th  &  6th,  2020  in  Amsterdam.  For updates  and  practical  information,  please  consult  our  website:  ai.reshapingwork.net.  Early-bird tickets go on sale on October 15. To ensure you stay up-to-date, please sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Twitter.

Scientific committee

• Marleen Huysman, VU University/KIN Center (Head of the Scientific Committee)
• Pauline  Kim,  Washington  University  School  of  Law  and  Robert  Seamans,  NYU Stern  School  of Business (Division Labour Law &Economics)
• Virginia Dignum, UmeåUniversity and Roel Dobbe, AI Now Institute (Division Computer Science)
• Mikkel  Flyverbom,  Copenhagen  Business  School  and  Stella  Pachidi,  University  of  Cambridge (Division Business)
• Lambèr Royakkers, Eindhoven University of Technology and Jeroen  van  den  Hoven,  TU  Delft (Division Humanities)