What’s the Future of Work in This Age of AI? My 4 Takeaways From The SGLN Panel

The future of work isn’t just about what AI can do. It’s about what we choose to remain human about.

I attended SG Leaders Network’s Project Human panel discussion recently, where four speakers shared their perspectives on the future of work for global business leaders. The speakers were:

• Feon Ang, Managing Director (Asia Pacific) & Vice President of Global Sales Solutions, LinkedIn
• Jasmin Lau, Acting Minister for Manpower and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information
• Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin, Chief Executive Officer, Quantedge Capital
• Moderator: Dr Jochen Wirtz, Professor of Marketing, National University of Singapore

Here are the takeaways that most resonated with me:

1. Your competitive advantage is what takes years to build

An interesting question about competitive advantage was raised: What can you build that others cannot easily copy?

It’s easy to think about competitive advantage in terms of what we can do faster, cheaper or more efficiently.

But what about the things that take decades to develop? Your network, relationships, credibility, experience and ability to bring people together.

These are harder to replicate. The question is: Where can you position yourself at the frontier rather than compete on capabilities that are becoming increasingly accessible?

2. Adaptability will matter more than our ability to predict

Rather than trying to forecast exactly what the future will look like, we need to develop the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn.

This also changes how we think about hiring. Beyond what someone knows today, are they able to acquire new skills, reinvent themselves and demonstrate that they can adapt?

I particularly liked the emphasis on building strong relationships, too. The ability to connect with people and build meaningful networks will remain valuable regardless of how technology evolves.

3. Use technology to become better humans

Someone also shared a perspective that I found particularly thought-provoking: We should use these tools to become better humans.

That includes learning how to learn, building things and expanding what we are capable of.

The importance of professions like psychology was also touched upon – which made me think about the growing value of understanding human behaviour as technology takes on more tasks.

There was also an interesting observation about sectors that are likely to grow alongside our desire for a better quality of life: healthcare, education, leisure and tourism.

Perhaps as technology changes how we work, what we value about being alive becomes even more important.

4. Don’t outsource the things that make us human

What was also shared is what one *wouldn’t* want to use AI for: things that involve compassion, accountability and trust.

These situations require more than information or a technically correct answer. They require understanding people, navigating emotions, building trust and taking responsibility for the outcome.

It made me think about how, as AI becomes more capable, we need to become even more intentional about where human judgement and connection matter.

A good reminder amidst all the change

There are some things technology cannot change about the human experience.

A rather poignant observation at the end of the conversation – the people you love will eventually leave you.

It’s a reminder that, for all the progress we make in technology, there are fundamental parts of life that remain unchanged.

Our relationships, our experiences, our responsibilities towards one another, and the limited time we have with the people who matter.

And perhaps this is where the conversation about the future of work needs to go beyond productivity and efficiency.

How do we build careers, organisations and societies that make life better?

How do we use technology to expand human potential, rather than simply fill our lives with more things to do?

And how do we make sure that, in becoming more capable, we don’t lose sight of what makes life meaningful in the first place?

A timely reminder that the future of work is also a conversation about the future of being human.

What’s one part of your work you’d never hand over to AI?

If you’d like to explore where you might be drifting from what matters to you, the 3-minute reflection quiz is a good place to start. You can also explore 1-1 coaching, or join the newsletter for weekly reflections like this one.