Arvind Narayanans Keynote Speech Icml 2026 Seoul South Korea What Will Be Left Us Work

2026-07-13 · Source: citp.princeton.edu · Field: Business & Management — Human Resources & Workforce Development, Corporate Strategy & Leadership · Depth: Novice, quick

Summary

Arvind Narayanan's keynote speech at ICML 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, delivered on July 13, 2026, addressed the future of work under the influence of artificial intelligence. Titled "What will be left for us to work on?", the presentation advanced three primary arguments. First, Narayanan posited that the "AI as Normal Technology" framework remains a valid and effective lens for understanding AI's societal impacts, unless a significant future discontinuity, such as recursive self-improvement, emerges. Second, he cautioned against the belief that any single milestone achieved by companies in a lab would abruptly eliminate all jobs. Finally, he stressed that future employment landscapes will be radically different, demanding considerable adaptation, and concluded with a vision of human/AI "co-superintelligence".

Key takeaway

For executives and policymakers developing long-term workforce strategies, you should prioritize initiatives that foster continuous adaptation and skill transformation. Do not anticipate a sudden, catastrophic job loss event from AI advancements; instead, prepare your organizations for radically different job roles and actively cultivate environments that support human/AI "co-superintelligence". This proactive approach will mitigate future risks.

Key insights

AI's impact on work requires adaptation, viewing AI as normal technology, and preparing for human/AI co-superintelligence.

Principles

• AI's impacts are best understood via the "AI as Normal Technology" framework.
• Recursive self-improvement is serious but won't cause sudden job loss.
• Future jobs will be radically different, demanding adaptation.

Topics

• AI as Normal Technology
• Future of Work
• Workforce Adaptation
• Recursive Self-Improvement
• Human-AI Collaboration

Best for: Executive, Policy Maker, Consultant

Related on AIssential

• What will be left for us to work on? — AI is a transformative tool requiring human adaptation and a shift from building to evaluating systems, not a direct job replacement.
• The World’s Last Jobs Fair — The article, titled "The World's Last Jobs Fair" and tagged with "AI," presents a provocative concept regarding the future of employment.
• The AI Jobs of 2030 Don’t Exist Yet — Why Continuous Learners Will Win the Future — The future job market, shaped by AI, demands continuous learning and adaptability over static job-specific training.
• How AI Changes Everything After 2030. — After 2030, AI will transition from a tool to an autonomous societal layer, necessitating human-AI collaboration for future progress.
• Five things I learned from a conversation with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — AI will transform jobs, not eliminate them; strengthen social safety nets now.
• The "AI Job Apocalypse" is CANCELLED! — AI automation, by making competence cheaper, paradoxically increases overall work and output, shifting human roles to judgment and oversight.

See Counsel's argued verdicts on the open AI decisions leaders are weighing →

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by citp.princeton.edu.