Artificial intelligence is propelling a profound wave of organizational change. By enabling an unprecedented integration of human and machine intelligence, AI is not merely automating tasks but fundamentally re-architecting work processes, reshaping organizational structures, and dissolving the traditional boundaries of inside-outside coordination. This transformation redefines the nature of work and gives rise to a new paradigm of the "Intelligent Organization," where the most critical human role is that of the "meta-knowledge worker"—professionals whose primary skill is to design, manage, and collaborate with these intelligent systems.
This emerging reality raises a series of fundamental questions for scholars, business leaders, and policymakers. How should we redesign organizational structures to effectively integrate human and machine intelligence? As AI automates key cognitive tasks, how is the contribution of human capital being re-evaluated in the talent market? What does it mean for professional and managerial careers? How can firms translate these new organizational forms into a sustainable competitive advantage? Ultimately, what are the implications for the foundational theory of the firm, the nature of organizational coordination, and the future division of labor in our economy?
Panel I
Evidence from the US Workplace: The Widening Seniority Gap
Speaker: Guy Lichtinger (Harvard)
Guy Lichtinger is a PhD candidate in Economics at Harvard University. His research interest covers labor and public economics, with a particular focus on inequality and technological change. He will present his latest project, co-authored with Seyed M. Hosseini, which uses U.S. résumé and job posting data to analyze how generative AI functions as a "seniority-biased" technological shift, altering career progression.
Frontline Observation from China: The Changing Dynamics of Talent and Organizations
Speaker: Sheng Guo (Chair and CEO, Zhaopin)
Sheng Guo is the Chair and CEO of Zhaopin, one of China's largest online hiring platforms. He was formerly CEO of Sinotrans Air Transport and, before that, a partner at McKinsey & Co. He has over 15 years of firsthand experience with China's labor market. He will share his frontline observations on how AI is shaping talent demand and supply within Chinese organizations.
Training in the Age of AI: A Model of Apprenticeship Collapse
Speaker: Luis Garicano (LSE)
Luis Garicano is a Professor of Public Policy at LSE. Previously a professor of economics and strategy at both LSE and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he also served as a Member of the European Parliament (2019-2022). Known for his seminal analysis of knowledge hierarchies in organizations, he will explore the human capital consequences of AI's potential to substitute for the middle layers of organizations.
The Great Compression: How AI Transforms Skills, Incentives, and Coordination
Speaker: Jin Li (HKU)
Jin Li (HKU) is the Zhang Yonghong Professor in Economics and Strategy and Director of the Centre for AI, Management and Organization at the HKU Business School. He previously taught at LSE and the Kellogg School of Management. An expert on the dynamics of informal relationships for incentives, trust, and competitive advantage, he will consider the consequences of AI on worker productivity, motivation, and organizational coordination.
AI and the Future of Organizations: A Concluding Perspective
Speaker: Bengt Holmström (MIT)
Bengt Holmström, the 2016 Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, is the Paul A. Samuelson Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at MIT. A leading microeconomic theorist renowned for his foundational contributions to contract and incentive theory, he will offer a concluding perspective on AI's profound implications for the future of organizations.
Panel II Open Discussion and Q&A
Full-length Video
Speaker: All participants
