Rethink: The vital role trust will play in the AI-powered future of work
Do we trust less or do we trust differently around work today?
Dear Rethinkers,
I’m often asked questions about trust and the future of work. They’re usually along the lines of:
What should we trust AI to do (and not do)?
How do you nurture trust in hybrid teams in lasting ways?
Do different generations trust differently in the workplace?
Often people focus on a specific tech or a focused problem that will shift and evolve with time. I find that it's more helpful to look at the paradigm shifts — often to do with trust, power, and values — that will fundamentally reshape our working lives.
These shifts lie not in the shiny tech, but in the underlying structures and systems that shape boundaries, norms, and dynamics between work and life, and between employers and employees. What I’ve seen in my research is just how much these shifts can impact equality, health, and well-being.
That’s why I was delighted to be asked by Fast Company and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to write a piece on trust and the future of work.
Here are three key points I cover:
Identifying the four ‘trust shifts’ – Local, Institutional, Distributed and Autosapient
Why we’re entering the next AI trust shift
Four ways to support people at all levels during this evolution
As I write:
“The future of work doesn’t necessarily require more trust; it needs us to learn how to trust differently with an eye always pointing toward equity.”
To read the full article on Fast Company, please go here.
Any thoughts or questions on this topic, as always I’d love to hear from you. Please leave below.
Thursday chat topic (for paid subscribers):
The meaning of trust is often misunderstood, but the way I define it is deceptively simple. This week I’ll share my definition, explain how I developed it, and open up the floor for any questions or comments about this important point on understanding trust.
If you’re a paid subscriber, join us on Thursday.
Warmly,
Other news:
I appreciated this question from Rethinker
on last week’s Shared Reality newsletter: “If people in positions of power can so flippantly admit to using misinformation, then who do we trust and how do we establish the boundaries of that trust?”Coming soon: A Rethink Research special for paid subscribers which will pull together some research threads I’ve been working on recently.
It’s interesting to watch how you’ve developed this topic this year. I’m interested in the point about rethinking how teams come together, physically and virtually. What do you think needs to change to increase trust?