Meaning at Work in the Age of AI: Rethinking Meaningful Work when Everything is Changing

Do you sometimes struggle to find meaning in your work?

Will the rise of AI make this worse?

What hope is there for us as homo laborans in this new era?

In this lively, interactive, and thought provoking discussion, Mike will show how the AI age offers a rare opportunity to move beyond our habitual patterns and rethink the "inner game" of work, empowering us to reclaim agency and find deeper purpose in an increasingly automated world.

Drawing from sources as varied as traditional philosophy, religious ideals, and indigenous thinking as well as modern psychology and management theory, Mike will show how the understanding of meaningful work has evolved over time and across cultures.

From that foundation, Mike will turn to how our usual conception of meaning is a reflection of the current era, and as such is particularly susceptible to the negative consequences of increased use of AI in the workplace.

By returning to an older, deeper sense of meaning, however, Mike will show that there is hope, and demonstrate how AI could actually be a catalyst for the re-emergence of a deeper, more connected sense of meaning.

Throughout the discussion, participants will be given the opportunity to question their own sense of meaning in their work and will also have the chance to ask questions, engage with each other, and collectively reclaim that most human of experiences that is to work.

Mike James Ross is a leadership advisor, PhD researcher at Concordia University, and former CHRO at Simons who specializes in the philosophy and psychology of meaningful work. With a career spanning McKinsey consulting, law, and entrepreneurship, Mike helps organizations and individuals build intentional cultures and find fulfillment. He is the co-author of Intention: The Surprising Psychology of High Performers.

To find out more about Mike's work, visit his website: https://www.mikejamesross.com

In a time marked by growing mental health pressures, uncertainty about the future of work, and increasing polarization, the Center for Human Flourishing lecture series equips students, faculty, staff, and community members with research-informed tools to move beyond coping toward flourishing.

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