The discussion around the future of work, which has become ubiquitous in law, policymaking and the media, has so far concentrated on ‘quantitative’ aspects, for instance how many jobs may be replaced by automation, or the introduction of new breeds of technologies, such as artificial intelligence... Find out more

Among the many disruptive new technologies that have emerged recently, blockchain is the one that has the most potential to profoundly revolutionise society and the labour market. For blockchain to be socially acceptable, however, accountability and transparency in the governance of its architecture... Find out more

Superpowers, states and companies around the world are all pushing hard to win the AI race. Artificial intelligence (AI) is of strategic importance for the EU, with the European Commission recently stating that ‘artificial intelligence with a purpose can make Europe a world leader’. For this to... Find out more

This Foresight Brief examines whether digital labour platforms should be treated as private employment agencies. Platforms like LinkedIn may rightfully be perceived by the general public to be mere social networks, but underneath their sleek design, they also act as an employment service. This brief... Find out more

This Foresight Brief examines whether work has a future in the digital age. A recent wave of innovation mean machines are capable of taking over from humans an ever-wider range of tasks. Will this deprive humans of work, or force them to seek out jobs involving different tasks? Authors Gérard... Find out more

‘Whoever becomes the ruler of AI will become the ruler of the world,’ said Vladimir Putin in September 2017. The USA, Russia and China are all adamant that artificial intelligence (AI) will be the key technology underpinning their national power in the future. What place, then, is there for Europe... Find out more

Are we currently living through a new industrial and technological revolution? Does it differ qualitatively from similar revolutions in the past? How can we gauge its political implications? Researchers working within the school of evolutionary economics, in particular those who embrace the concept... Find out more

Although there is little argument about the fact that climate change and the digitalisation of the economy are the two main trends that will matter most over the coming decades, to date they have predominantly been considered separately rather than together. The first step towards shaping our future... Find out more

This paper discusses the European Parliament’s Resolution of 16 February 2017 with recommendations to the Commission on Civil Law Rules on Robotics (European Parliament 2017). It provides a brief summary of the content of the Resolution and looks at its basic principles and raison d’être. It also... Find out more

For better or worse, the digitalisation of the economy has become an unavoidable theme in political and social debates. This new industrial revolution is predicted to disrupt the processes of production, the world of work and society at large. How can we prepare for this and how can we anticipate... Find out more