One of the central issues of our time is that of the future of work The human race, like other areas of our lives in recent decades, has been subject to quite powerful forces of change. Some say they could radically transform it, to the point of making it largely superfluous. This would logically entail a radical change in the historical patterns of human life in society, in which the experience of work has been central, both in terms of securing livelihoods and economic growth and, above all, in terms of gaining meaning for one's own life, most importantly, as participants in the web of reciprocal exchanges and giving that community life consists of. Fear, unease or simply uncertainty that something like this will happen may be behind the renewed interest in academia and in international, and national, public discussion about the future of work. Probably also the widespread sense of uncertainty and insecurity in the aftermath of the last economic crisis. And so too must be the sense that some technological changes seem to be accelerating, such as those involving machines equipped with some form of artificial intelligence.
In this context, and in the framework of its programme of "Public Space"The Rafael del Pino Foundation commissioned Socio-Political Analysts to convene and coordinate a meeting in which experts in this field, either because of their academic or research occupation, or because of their closer knowledge, as employers or workers' representatives, could share their ideas. The meeting was held on 29 November 2016, at the Foundation's headquarters.
The following pages are intended to capture the key points and suggestions that emerged from this conversation, although they are not limited to what was discussed there and extend it with a few comments. They follow a relatively simple outline. Firstly, we take up the trends and predictions about the future of employment that are often highlighted in the public discussion. Secondly, we consider the scale of the phenomena, as the main evidence of the reality of the changes that are apparently upon us. Thirdly, we briefly recall the causes and context of the changes. All this is a prelude to, fourthly, a consideration of the consequences of the changes in individual and social life, which we put forward in terms of the grand narratives confronting public discussion, and of a realistic approach, which we call "present continuous", that can serve to manage these processes of change and their consequences together. Lastly, we address this management through a brief consideration of the public policies that can accompany and/or channel the changes underway in such a way that they do not lead to undesirable future scenarios of community breakdown. In this last consideration, we attach particular importance to the modes of public discussion of these policies.