Ask a Futurist: Pairing human and digital talent in 2040

How will we pair humans with digital talent in 2040? 

Great question, and my answer is that by 2040, I don’t think we will be pairing and matching as much as augmenting and integrating. We are seeing the first stirrings of this with the recent announcement that Moderna is merging its IT and HR departments.  

Think about this for a moment. The traditional siloed model of IT managing technology infrastructure and HR managing people resources is going out the window because leaders are starting to recognise the value in tighter alignment between the two. 

Today and in the next few years, we will all be responsible for redesigning jobs according to the specific workstreams that need to be addressed. Based on their unique strengths, humans and AI-based agents will work together to accomplish this.  

Several years ago, global real estate conglomerate JLL created a fun video illustrating how, by 2030, every moment of a human worker’s day would be observed and appropriately governed by AI-based technologies and augmented reality.  

For example, your personal AI agent might sense that your caffeine level is low and that you need a kitchen stop. And as another, a partner AI agent might receive some work product from you and collaborate on next steps with other human workers and agents. 

The JLL video showcases one of the less-talked-about elements of integrating human and digital talent. As we approach 2040, fewer physical boundaries will separate humans and technology. The JLL employee we are following is outfitted with a device (it’s unclear whether she’s wearing it or it’s inside her body) that provides an AI-enhanced and augmented view of her surroundings and immediate access to the full library of information needed to perform her job effectively.  

Increasingly, it will not be about us vs. them, because they will be a part of us and we will be a part of them. Through seamless AI participation in our every move, we will know the optimal place to do our work and the optimal method to use.  

Our managers and partners can evaluate our performance, share feedback, and recommend course corrections in real time. This is the next evolution of human resources management and workspace optimisation systems. We’ll never have to search for the right app, facility, or HR person.  

As long as we prioritize human connection through in-person team gatherings to supplement time spent in the metaverse and asynchronous work environments, employees in 2040 are likely to be more productive and engaged and feel a greater sense of purpose and belonging.