WORK2025 conference 'Work in the Era of Unruly AI' brought together researchers and experts

The seventh international multidisciplinary WORK2025 conference in its series was held in a hybrid format at the University of Turku and on the virtual OA conference platform on August 20-22, 2025. The theme of the conference, Work in the Era of Unruly AI, brought together 245 researchers and experts from 27 different countries.

The conference's keynote speakers, five international top researchers, discussed the multifaceted and unequal impacts of artificial intelligence on work and employment relationships, work practices, education, and platform work. Antonio Casilli spoke about global and unequal human labor behind artificial intelligence. Margunn Aanestad presented her research findings on the implementation processes of artificial intelligence and their challenges in organizations. Janja Komljenovic discussed academic work and the productization of higher education using artificial intelligence. Benjamin Shestakofsky talked about how capitalism shapes work, innovation, and inequality. Steven Vallas highlighted perspectives on the platform economy and algorithmic society.

The theme of the conference was also addressed in 166 research presentations in 19 multidisciplinary streams. The presented studies highlighted the novel aspect of how artificial intelligence affects working life, creating opportunities but also challenges. Artificial intelligence broadly and sometimes unpredictably changes work processes, which can also create, increase, and promote various forms of inequality in working life. An e-abstract book of the conference, edited by the conference chair Seppo Poutanen, will be published in the fall of 2025.