Waterloo Symposium on Technology and Society: Disruptive Technology - Do Robots Want Your Job?

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

In the first symposium of the Waterloo Symposium on Technology & Society series, Martin Ford explores the ways in which AI and automation (aka, “robots”) are outpacing humans in a range of sectors, from education to law, agriculture to healthcare, management and beyond. He offers a realistic view of what the future of work—and your place in it—will look like. Beyond pragmatic concerns, Ford addresses a bigger question: can accelerating technology disrupt our entire economic system to the point where a fundamental restructuring is required? This next industrial revolution, Ford argues, will not be like the last one. In the past, even as jobs were eliminated, jobs were created to replace them. Increasingly, new machines will be able to take care of themselves, making fewer jobs necessary. This exciting talk is both an exploration of this new technology and a call to arms to address its implications.

Martin Ford is the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm and the author of three books. He has over 25 years of experience in computer design and software development, and holds a computer engineering degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a graduate business degree from UCLA. He has written for publications including Fortune, ForbesThe Atlantic, The Washington PostProject SyndicateThe Huffington Post and The Fiscal Times. Ford has also appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including programs on NPR and CNBC.

Ford's keynote lecture will be followed by a panel discussion with Ryan Gariepy, William Melek and Joël Blit, moderated by CSG Executive Director Mark Sedra. A reception with beer, wine, and soft drinks will conclude the symposium.

Registration is required.