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AI is fundamentally re-engineering how work is done, who does it, and why. From AI-assisted nursing tools enabling healthcare providers to serve more patients to robotics improving retail fulfillment efficiency, the change is monumental. Organizations must establish a common language around work to navigate this transformation effectively. This raises a critical question: Who bears the responsibility for preparing the workforce for the AI age? Industry expert Josh Bersin notes that thriving in this era requires redesigning work, jobs, and organizational modelsdeconstructing tasks, evaluating AI solutions, and defining the human role alongside automation. This imperative underscores the moral mandate of leaders to empower people, not displace thema theme explored further in his piece. It is clear that readiness cannot fall solely on employees. Leaders must rise to the challenge, driving the reinvention of work ethically and inclusively. The moral mandate of leaders AI is poised to reinvent nearly every job, with research showing that 92% of tech roles will evolve in response to automation. Yet, most employees lack the tools to navigate these shifts independently, and many HR leaders remain uncertain about future workforce needs. Expecting employees to pivot seamlessly without guidance ignores their struggles to balance work and life, let alone reimagine their career trajectories. Leaders must rise to this challenge by creating a unified understanding of work that drives intelligent workforce transformation. The imperative isn’t just about adopting AIit’s about re-engineering work in a way that ensures no one is left behind. Leadership must understand their workforce’s day-to-day activities: Which tasks are primed for AI enhancement? How can we create more opportunities? How do we ensure work flows efficiently to those best suited to perform it? Bersins research shows that to succeed with AI, companies must rethink work, jobs, and structures. This means focusing on customer outcomes, breaking work into tasks, using AI where it fits, and defining where humans add value. Leaders who do this will make AI work for their peoplenot replace them. Accountability is the new currency Todays stakeholdersemployees, customers, communities, and shareholdersscrutinize companies like never before. Business success is no longer measured by profits alone; its judged by how well organizations unlock and amplify the full potential of their people. Leaders must rethink traditional job design. Jobs consist of tasks, not skills, and people possess the skills to perform those tasks. Reskilling efforts must be task-focused, dynamic, and deeply personalized. Consider financial services. Junior analysts, whose roles are heavily impacted by AI, could become data scientists within months through upskilling in Python and AI fundamentals. This isnt just workforce optimizationits workforce empowerment. The alternative is bleak: mass unemployment, economic instability, and widening social inequalities. Failing to act doesnt just hurt employees; it undermines economic resilience. Design for meaningful work AI will eliminate some roles but create countless new opportunities. The key is ensuring that those opportunities are accessible to everyone, regardless of their starting point. Organizations need comprehensive frameworks that map jobs, tasks, processes, and career paths. Through this understanding, leaders can create clear development pathways for every employee. This isn’t just about workforce optimization; it’s about creating an environment where every individual can grow alongside technological advancement. For example, our Workforce Reinvention Blueprint pinpoints high-value areas where AI complements human capabilities. Leaders can build reskilling strategies tailored to individual aspirations and organizational goals, ensuring every employee finds meaning and purpose in their work. From incremental to transformational The journey to workforce reinvention doesnt happen overnight. Leaders must adopt a phased approach, starting with understanding their current workforce dynamics, aligning job tasks with future skills needs. Heres how companies can embrace transformation: Workforce analysis: Identify tasks for automation and map the skills needed for higher-value roles. Reskilling as a priority: Pinpoint skills gaps and offer tailored learning opportunities. Transparency in communication: Build trust by sharing the vision for AI integration and its impact. Inclusive leadership: Ensure reskilling opportunities are accessible to all employees, especially marginalized groups. Leadership that goes beyond numbers As we continue through 2025, the organizations that thrive will be those that approach workforce transformation with both boldness and responsibility. Success lies in ensuring that as work evolves, people evolve with it. This isn’t just about AI adoptionit’s about creating a future where technology amplifies human potential rather than diminishing it. The opportunity to reinvent work has never been greater; the responsibility to do so has never been clearer. Siobhan Savage is CEO and founder of Reejig. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
Is technology a hero or a villain? That question keeps coming back to me. Especially now, as the world watches the ripple effects of the USAID funding freeze and the relentless wave of climate disasters. Tech companies sit right at the heart of these crisesnot as bystanders, but as some of the most powerful players in how they unfold. And yet, techs public image has never been more conflicted. On one hand, technology has enabled incredible breakthroughs in humanitarian response. AI can predict floods before they hit. Blockchain helps track aid deliveries in fragile contexts. Real-time data platforms put lifesaving information directly into the hands of frontline responders. Thats the tech I believe in. But lets be honestBig Techs reputation is hanging by a thread. From privacy scandals to polarization to performative corporate social responsibility (CSR), the gap between what tech could be and how people perceive it feels wider than ever. This moment is a wake-up call. Not just for CSR, but for the entire way tech companies define their role in solving global problems. What weve seen at Tech To The Rescue over the past five years is simple: Social impact work isnt charity. Its how companies sharpen their edge. When tech teams partner with nonprofits tackling crises, theyre not just donating skillstheyre learning in ways that no corporate client can teach them. Theyre designing for chaos, building for the underserved, and stretching their creativity to the limit. What internal sprints will never teach you For small and mid-sized companies, this work is a goldmine of tactical insight. Designing systems for low-bandwidth environments, creating tools for users with limited digital literacy, or adapting platforms for multilingual emergency contextsthese are not side projects. They are previews of the challenges companies will face as they scale into new markets. And for larger companies? Its just as valuableespecially when these partnerships happen inside innovation teams, not just CSR departments. Unlike traditional philanthropy, with its slow approvals and risk aversion, these collaborations are fast, hands-on, and embedded with frontline teams. The result? Products that dont just live in PowerPoints but in the hands of people who need them most. Real-world proof that this works This isn’t a theory. Its happening now. Through AI for Changemakersa global accelerator we launched with sponsorship from AWS and Google.orgtech companies are building tools like SOPHIA, which processes multilingual crisis data in real time, and AIMM, which helps field teams at Mercy Corps that use AI for program design without needing a data science degree. I saw this dynamic firsthand at AWS re:Invent, standing alongside leaders from Mercy Corps and ACAPS to showcase these projectsnot as feel-good stories, but as proof that serious tech-for-good collaborations deliver serious impact. But the moment that stuck with me most came earlier, at VivaTech in Paris. Thats where Werner Vogelsone of the worlds most influential CTOsannounced the Now Go Build CTO Fellowship, created in partnership with our AI for Changemakers program. And this wasnt some hands-off endorsement. Vogels, Amazons CTO, stepped in to mentor nonprofit CTOs directly, giving them access to the same leadership and technical playbook that powers AWS. When a tech leader of his stature decides to personally invest in social impact organizations tech leadership, it sends a message: If we want stronger humanity, we need stronger and out-of-the-box collaborations. Why this matters for every tech company This is no longer about reputational polish. Social impact partnerships are becoming a core source of innovation, talent development, and resilience. According to Deloittes 2024 Global Gen Z & Millennial Survey, 86% Gen Zs 89% of millennials shared that a sense of purpose is important to overall job satisfaction and well-being for them. Also, 75% of both groups responded that an organizations community engagement and societal impact are considered and important factors when looking into potential employers. On the flip side, less than half believe that businesses do have a positive societal impact, highlighting a growing gap between expectations and reality. The same is true for consumers, especially since the pandemic. Ipsos Global Trends 2021 found that 70% of consumers across 25 markets prefer to buy from brands that reflect their personal values. This trend has been particularly strong in key markets like the U.K., France, and the U.S., where the emphasis on brand values has grown by over 16% since 2013. Lets also rethink what pro bono in the tech industry even means. Its become shorthand for quick volunteer gigs, but in reality, the projects that matter most are professionally scoped, technically complex, and demand the same creativity, rigor, and accountability as any top-tier client engagement. Its time to see these collaborations for what they are: R&D with purpose. So back to that question: Hero or villain? The answer wont come from PR. It will come from what we build, who we build it for, and whether were willing to apply our best thinking to humanitys hardest problems. The companies that embed social impact into their innovation playbook will come out stronger, sharper, and far better prepared for a future where impact isnt an accessoryits a core business strategy. Jacek Siadkowski is the CEO and cofounder of Tech To The Rescue. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
Lately it seems like collective uncertainty about the economy is mainly focused on one thing: eggs. This isn’t surprising. When the price of a kitchen staple like eggs nearly doubles in a year, it’s easy to make it a go-to symbol for the broader basket of financial anxieties many consumers are feeling. I get it, but I also worry all the egg-centric media coverage is overshadowing what is, for most households, a much bigger and more important line item: healthcare. So far this year, egg prices have generated roughly three times more headlines than healthcare costs have (per a quick Google News search)which is pretty much the reverse of the relative impact those issues have had on households over the past 40 years. Food inflation is a serious concern, but for the average consumer, the cost of out-of-pocket healthcare spending has far outpaced that of food (yes, even eggs). Cumulative Change in Prices Paid by Consumers (%) Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (all urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted) Why are eggs stealing the limelight? One big reason is that everyday commodities like eggs (or milk, coffee, and gas) are easy for consumers to comprehend. These products have a black-and-white price tag, you generally get what you pay for, and it’s hard not to notice when your paycheck suddenly doesn’t stretch as far. Healthcare is different Healthcare doesn’t work like that. For consumers, out-of-pocket healthcare spending is a mishmash of insurance premiums, deductibles, appointment copays, and prescription costs. For heavier-duty care like surgery and hospital stays, there often isn’t a clear-cut price tag. Not surprisingly, more than half of insured workers are confused by healthcare costs and billing, and as a result, many don’t fully grasp the total healthcare hit to their walletor the value they’re getting (or not) for their healthcare dollar. This consumer blind spot is becoming a financial black hole for employers. For most companies, healthcare is now the second-largest operating expense after payroll. Employers are forecasting that healthcare costs will accelerate even more in 2025, increasing by about 9%three times the current inflation rate. After years of absorbing rising costs, many employers are now facing tough decisions about raising employees share of the premium, eliminating benefits, or passing costs onto customers. Unlike egg prices, though, the healthcare cost trend isn’t primarily a supply-and-demand issue. A big chunk of runaway healthcare spending (as much as 25%, by some estimates) is due to inefficiency and waste, including overtreatment, undertreatment, low-quality providers, and uncoordinated care. The healthcare system is basically dropping three eggs from every carton on the floor, and employers are left to clean up the mess. Reining in this avoidable and unsustainable spending isn’t as simple as cutting benefits or increasing premiums. In fact, limiting healthcare access can backfire if individuals forgo essential care, leading to a sicker workforce in the short term and snowballing costs in the long run. Unscramble the mess The reality is, if we’re going to unscramble the mess of healthcare, we need a collective shift in our expectations and mindset. Employers and consumers alikeall healthcare purchasers, in factneed to demand a new focus on value. We need to move away la carte “egg” purchases whereas though we’re in a supermarket aislefees are associated with volume, and total costs can only be managed with portion control (or as we say in healthcare, utilization management). This model has blinded people to what they’re spending and getting in return, undermining trust in the healthcare system as a whole. Instead, we need a healthcare model where a person’s holistic needs are front and center. A model that incentivizes ongoing engagement, building trust over time, and consistently guiding people toward high-quality careincluding more care, when that’s best for them. The future of higher-value, lower-cost healthcare is one in which people and purchasers have access to a broader range of services and settings (both virtual and in person). It offers personalized advocacy and support (including with clinical guidance, bills, and claims). And it offers an all-in-one experiencea departure from the fragmented maze we’ve all become accustomed to. Innovators and leaders on the front lines of healthcare management and purchasing are starting to recognize this, and are reorienting their solutions, partnerships, and models to ensure that people get the care they deserve, where, and when they need it. While egg prices may have our attention now, we can’t lose sight of creating a healthcare system and experience that’s actually worth the high price we all pay. And in healthcare, unlike with groceries, the key to affordability isn’t buying less or cutting corners on quality. It’s investing in the services and outcomes that deliver real value for our hard-earned money. Owen Tripp is cofounder and CEO of Included Health. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
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