On Work, Purpose and Machines

The Future of Work, rewritten by AI? An evening of futures, friction, and foresight. The dominant story about AI and the future of work ultimately culminates in machines coming for human jobs. Often the question seems to focus on speed. Look more closely and the picture fractures. Some economists argue spending will shift toward a relational sector - care, hospitality, craft, education - where the human element is itself part of the value. Others argue that jobs are bundles of tasks, and the bundles that combine judgment, trust, and accountability will resist automation regardless of what the technology can do. Philosophers ask whether we've quietly redefined intelligence itself to mean whatever AI can outperform humans at, and what that erases. Designers and futurists argue that the way we imagine work shapes the work we get. This event takes those competing futures seriously and puts them in the same room. We bring together a panel of experts across economics, scientific innovation, technology ethics, futures and simulations, to critically assess competing future scenarios against each other. Rather than ask which forecast is right, we ask which trade-offs are real, which choices are being made now, and on whose behalf. Panellists open the conversation, and then, the audience becomes the panel bringing in their own work, evidence, and dissent in response to the opening provocations. The fishbowl setup offers a chance to everyone to bring their thoughts to the table and aims to channel depth over breadth of thought. The event is for professionals across sectors already thinking about how AI is reshaping the structure, distribution, and meaning of work and who want a place to think about it carefully, alongside others doing the same. What to Expect 18:00 – Doors Open 18:30 – Welcome & Framing — Mishka Nemes and Karin Garcia on how AI is reshaping work, and why the conversations we have now matter for what comes next. 19:00 – Fishbowl discussion — Panellists open with a series of provocations; the audience steps into the circle to join the debate. 20:00 – Collective Synthesis & Mapping Future Scenarios 20:15 – Networking Who is this for Limited seats only. Free admission. About the speakers Mishka Nemes is a researcher working at the intersection of AI ethics, responsible AI implementation in practice and human-AI interaction design, with a focus on skills. With over 8 years of experience working on AI literacy, education and future of work at the Alan Turing Institute and more recently at Trilateral Research, Mishka feels compelled to contribute to the wider conversation on how human will adapt in working alongside intelligent machines. She is focused on asking questions which shift current paradigms of thinking and thus her contributions at PhiAI - she wants to offer a deliberation platform where readers can help fine tune her AI meanderings. Charlie Thorneycroft is a Principal Change Designer at Forum for the Future specialising in facilitation, systems mapping, strategic futures, and helping groups identify leverage points for transformation. Charlie brings a broad, interdisciplinary foundation on which to build his systemic analysis of the challenges facing those trying to shift our economic system to be in service of a just and regenerative society. Previous project experience includes developing a set of future scenarios to support citizens to deliberate policy choices in Scotland's Climate Assembly, alongside several strategic futures projects for companies including Aviva, Reckitt, Diageo and PRI. About the host Karin Garcia is the founding editor of ΦAI (phiand.ai), an international online magazine and writers' collective exploring AI through a humanistic lens. A philosopher and economist by training (University of St. Gallen) and a startup operator turned writer, she creates spaces (in print and in person) where technology meets the deeper questions it tends to sidestep. About the organizers ΦAI (phiand.ai) is a writer-led online magazine dedicated to rigorous, interdisciplinary dialogue about the societal, ethical, and existential dimensions of artificial intelligence through thoughtful writing, collective inquiry, and a commitment to humanistic understanding. Foresight Institute at CIC Berlin convenes thinkers and builders working on long-term beneficial technology. AEthos provides the venue and community infrastructure at CIC Berlin. Our Cooperation Partner