NCKU Kicks Off "NCKU Meets Nobel" Series with Nobel Laureate Sir Christopher Pissarides on AI and the Future of Work
Written by NCKU Office of Internation Affairs. Image credit to NCKU News Center.
Sir Christopher A. Pissarides, 2010 Nobel Laureate in Economics, delivered a lecture at National Cheng Kung University.
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) launched the first lecture of its "NCKU Meets Nobel | AI × Sustainability: Insights for the Future" series on December 9th. The event featured a special keynote speech by the 2010 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, Prof. Sir Christopher A. Pissarides. Professor Pissarides, in his talk titled "AI and the Future of Work and Well-being," highlighted the widespread anxiety among the public regarding the potential for artificial intelligence to cause large-scale unemployment. He further shared his profound insights on how global labour market must adapt to the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
National Cheng Kung University Vice President Chang Shih-wei (right) asked a question to Professor Christopher Pissarides (left) on behalf of the audience.
In discussing the relationship between AI and the job market, Professor Pissarides explained that the introduction of AI and robotics will primarily lead to “structural change”, rather than simply replacing workers. In other words, “workers need to move from the sectors that destroy jobs to the sectors that create jobs”. He cited the structural transformation of the labour force in China in 1980 as an example, noting that the agricultural workforce drastically declined over just 20 years, shifting to the manufacturing sector, where the labour proportion was initially close to zero. This exemplifies one of the largest labour migrations in history.
Furthermore, the percentage of the manufacturing labour population in the UK and the US has plummeted from approximately 40% to about 8% over the past 40 years. This is because the introduction of new technology increased manufacturing productivity, subsequently leading to an unbalanced economy. In the future, labour may need to be transferred from high-productivity sectors (such as manufacturing) to low-productivity or non-technical sectors (such as services) to rebalance the economy.
Facing the current wave of industry transformation driven by AI, some technology giants and economists hold divergent opinions on the impact of artificial intelligence. Most of the current discussion focuses on whether AI will replace labour or augment labour. However, Professor Pissarides pointed out that the most crucial challenge today is ensuring that workers can smoothly adapt and transition from old job types to new positions. He emphasized that the pace of labour market adjustment is being constrained by some "frictions." Specifically, he highlighted information frictions and skills mismatches as the primary barriers to the smooth adjustment and rapid transitions in response to new shocks.
Group photo of attendees.
To overcome these difficulties and build a resilient and competitive society capable of meeting the demands of the future of work, Professor Pissarides concluded that the following have become essential requirements in the modern workplace:
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Equipping employees with fundamental STEM knowledge and on-the-job training
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Encouraging time for self-directed learning
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Implementing incentives mechanisms for employees
The audience listened attentively to the speech.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Shyy-Woei Chang, Executive Vice President of NCKU, stated that the lecture deeply resonates with NCKU’s educational and professional mission. He noted that the utilization of AI technology is not just about pursuing economic efficiency, but also about promoting long-term human wellbeing.
"His insights shift our focus from merely discussing how to enhance productivity to thinking about how to ensure a balance between 'good work' and 'well-being' in this era of automation and AI," said Executive Vice President Chang.
Professor Pissarides is a leading authority on the theory of Market Frictions. He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, jointly with Dr. Dale Mortensen and Dr. Peter A. Diamond, for their development of a theory that analyzes how government policies affect unemployment, job vacancies, and wages. His influential book, Equilibrium Unemployment Theory, is a foundational reference in the field of unemployment economics. Professor Pissarides has also served as an advisor to institutions such as the World Bank, the European Commission, the Bank of England, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on employment policy and other macroeconomic issues.
The "NCKU Meets Nobel" series is organized by the Office of International Affairs at National Cheng Kung University in partnership with the International Peace Foundation (IPF), as part of the TAIWAN BRIDGES program. The series will continue to bring top international academic inspiration to the Taiwanese academic community; NCKU plans to host the 2019 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Prof. Gregg L. Semenza, in March of next year.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2025-12-10
