Georgetown University hosted the Annual Ellen C. Gstalder Memorial Lecture, featuring Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times in the Bioethics Library on Nov 13. The event brought together students, faculty, and community members for an in-depth examination of how artificial intelligence might transform the workforce.
In his remarks, Casselman addressed growing questions surrounding the impact of A.I. on employment, including which jobs might be displaced, what new roles could emerge, and which skills workers would need to succeed in a rapidly changing labor market. While emphasizing that it remained too early to predict the full scope of A.I.’s effects, he noted that historical periods of technological disruption provided valuable insight into how the current transition might unfold.
Casselman drew parallels to past moments of economic upheaval such as the China shock, underscoring the factors that have historically shaped who benefits and who bears the costs of major shifts in labor and technology. His analysis offered attendees a grounded framework for understanding the opportunities and challenges associated with the A.I. revolution.
About the Gstalder Lecture
The Ellen Catherine Gstalder C'98 Memorial Lecture Fund was established in July 2007 by Herbert W. (C'65) and Barbara E. Gstalder, in memory of their daughter Ellen Catherine Gstalder C'98. It supports an annual lecture on social issues of current significance in America. Through the lecture, speakers and attendees engage with issues like poverty, food insecurity, racism, migration, LGBTQ rights, and the #MeToo movement.