Crafting the Future: The Center for Sustainable Development Leads Global AI Initiative to Empower Local and Global Talent, and Build Tomorrow’s AI-Enhanced Workforce.

Overview/Summary
In the next decade, the landscape of various professions is expected to undergo radical transformation due to the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this context, a new collaboration between Columbia University and Future Investment Initiative Institute was formed to bring together key stakeholders, spanning the private, public sectors, government, civil society and educational institutions. The Collaboration’s goal is to envision the evolution of each profession by 2050, considering the current and anticipated capabilities of AI. Several Task Forces have been created to look into specific key topics, such as Education, Health or Ethics. Through the work of these Task Forces, the project will develop tailored curricula for universities (starting with Columbia University), ensuring that students today are equipped with skills relevant to the evolving job market. The emphasis is on preventing the emergence of workers in 2024/2025 who could become obsolete by 2030, necessitating significant retraining.
The FII PRIORITY Compass finds that 40% of the world’s population perceive Generative AI as a threat to society with strong potential for job destruction, and that less than half of the Global North feels prepared for the digital age. One key component of this project is to use the network of Columbia Global Centers to work with LMIC universities to work towards preventing a divide between High Incomes Countries (HICs) and Low-and-Middle-Income-Countries (LMICs). In January 2024, the IMF reported that 40% of jobs in emerging markets could experience a negative impact from AI because of a digital divide (between the Global North and Global South) brought about by AI, and our initiative will aim to prevent this.
Objectives of the Initiative
As AI has become the fastest growing topic of interest since 2023, several groups worldwide are interested in the impact of AI on the Future of Work.
The partnership between FII Institute and Columbia University has the following objectives:
- Identify Potential Impacts: Members of the Initiative have created several Task Forces and will discuss and identify the potential impacts of AI on various aspects of the Future of Work, including skill shifts, poverty and inequalities, impact on Emerging and Developing Economies (EDMEs) among many others. The Initiative will aim to understand the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for different stakeholders, and the critical role played by a university such as Columbia.
- Share Knowledge and Insights: The Initiative will facilitate knowledge sharing and exchange of insights among stakeholders from all regions of the world about current trends, research findings, and best practices related to AI and the Future of Work.
- Discuss Policy and Regulatory Considerations: Engage stakeholders, in the various specific Task Forces, in a discussion about the policy and regulatory considerations necessary to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating potential risks and challenges.
- Foster Collaboration and Partnerships: The Initiative, which benefits from the expertise of colleagues and collaborators from every continent, will foster collaboration and partnerships among stakeholders to address common goals and challenges related to AI and the Future of Work. Through the Task Force and general meetings, the Initiative will encourage dialogue and networking opportunities to facilitate the exchange of ideas, resources, and opportunities for collaboration on research projects, pilot initiatives, and policy advocacy efforts.
Task Forces
- Macroeconomics, Poverty and inequity: Delve into the macroeconomic implications of AI adoption and its effects on workforce development strategies. Explore innovative approaches to tackle challenges and capitalize on opportunities presented by AI in the swiftly evolving job market.
- Application of AI in Healthcare: Explore cutting-edge applications of AI in healthcare, elucidating how AI technologies are transforming patient care, medical research and opportunities for healthcare workers and patients in Emerging and Developing Economies (EDMEs)
- Application of AI in Education: With the opportunity to provide personalized learning experiences and improve teachers and professors’ pedagogy, applications of AI in Education could revolutionize the field. But are there redlines to define when it comes to how and what AI will teach to our children?
- Ethics: Explore all the ethical questions, opportunities and challenges raised by the integration of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Work, society and Research, ensuring that tools developed are for the benefit of mankind and the planet.
A fifth Task Force will convene all members from EDMEs from the other Task Forces to strategically think about linkages with their countries and universities.
- AI and Future of Work in EDMEs: Create an environment of dialogue and exchange with universities in Emerging and Developing Economies (EDMEs), and strategize on effective dissemination of information concerning AI and the Future of Work in LMICs, ensuring equitable access to knowledge and opportunities for all.

Launch Details
High level summary
The launch of the "Artificial Intelligence and Future of Work” initiative took place in March 2024 at Columbia University in New York. It marked the inaugural event spearheaded by the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) in partnership with the Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute). Over 40 academicians from diverse Columbia University Schools and international universities as well as representatives of government agencies and the private sector convened to deliberate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work.
The Center for Sustainable Development unveiled an important initiative at Columbia University aimed at preparing the workforce for future challenges posed by advancements in AI. This initiative, which is integrated into Columbia University’s overall efforts on Artificial Intelligence, seeks to revolutionize educational curricula to create a workforce adept in AI and equipped to tackle the sectoral transformations expected by 2030. Emphasizing a collaborative effort, the Center’s Executive Director Prof. Yanis Ben Amor highlighted plans to extend educational advancements globally, especially to Emerging and Developing Economies (EDMEs), which face the risk of being marginalized by the AI revolution. The approach involves leveraging Columbia’s extensive network through its Global Centers to mitigate the educational and opportunity disparities highlighted by a recent IMF report release in Davos in early 2024
Keynote speaker Prof. Jeffrey Sachs drew parallels between AI and major technological revolutions, emphasizing AI’s potential to reshape societal and economic landscapes. Prof. Sachs pointed out the lack of models to predict AI’s long-term impacts on global economies and underscored the importance of ethical considerations in AI development. He advocated for international collaboration to harness AI’s benefits across sectors while addressing the ethical dilemmas and inequality it might exacerbate.
Four Task Forces (Macroeconomics, Education, Health and Ethics) were established to explore AI’s impacts across various domains, stressing the importance of interdisciplinary efforts to address the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Presentations from international universities, government agencies and the private sector illustrated diverse approaches to integrating AI in education, research, and practical applications such as bid proposal writing. These discussions emphasized the need for ethical, inclusive, and sustainable AI development.
The task force discussions further delved into specific areas like healthcare, macroeconomics, and education, highlighting the critical need for strategic planning to ensure AI positively transforms society, not only in the Global North, but also in the Global South. The outcomes of these task forces aim to contribute to a broader understanding and effective governance of AI technologies, ensuring they serve the global good while preparing individuals for an AI-integrated future.
The event concluded with the official launching of the four Task Forces (and an additional cross cutting fifth Task Force focusing on Emerging and Developing Economies) and the Global Initiative.
Research Focus of Each Task Force
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