Former Google Executive Speaks on the Future of Work

With artificial intelligence evolving far faster than business leaders imagined, Saints are taking a close look at how it can be used responsibly, ethically, and in a way that keeps humans at the controls.

"AI and the Future of Work: From Hype to Impact" was delivered April 8 by Laszlo Bock for Siena's Lewis Golub Executive Lecture Series, the third in the annual series to examine AI's evolution and impact.

As School of Business Dean Rashmi Assudani, Ph.D., pointed out, "The topic of AI is not new, however, its impact and the pace of change it is bringing to all of us is astounding. In April 2024, we were trying to unpack 'what is AI.' In April 2025, we were examining 'responsible use of AI and keeping human centricity at the forefront.' Today, we are here to examine if and how AI is really going to transform the future of work."

Bock, former chief people officer at Google and author of the New York Times bestseller Work Rules!, explored answers to some direct questions about how AI might impact future careers: Is AI good or evil? (That's up to us. Every dollar we spend on it is a vote for the future.) Will AI be good or bad for employment? (Depends on latent demand.) Will AI be good or bad for wages? (Bad, unless we choose differently.) And which future do we want? (The New Deal is a strong model to follow.)

"Do we want the gains and benefits from AI to accrue to capital or labor?" he asked. "We have to think about what will happen if it all goes to capital, and how our workforce will be affected."

Bock, who was joined at the event by his wife, Gerri Ann (Hutchings) Bock '93, is considered by many to be a leading thinker on the future of work, AI, and people analytics. He is currently a senior advisor to Anthropic and General Catalyst, co-director of the Berkeley Transformative CHRO Leadership Academy, and a board member of the Stanford Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavioral Sciences.

He said keeping AI focused on how it can benefit humanity is key to its evolution.

"By training AI to do one antisocial thing, they inadvertently activate a whole complex of antisocial associations in the model," he explained. "Our values will be embedded in the system, and we need to always keep in mind that the future of AI must be engaged with constituents, and that values matter. Every dollar we spend on AI is a vote for the kind of future you want for yourself, your organization, and your children."

Several Saints were able to join Bock for a lunch conversation earlier in the day, in advance of his lecture to a packed Maloney Great Room in the SSU. Kayla McNulty '26 said Bock allowed her to see a completely different viewpoint when it comes to artificial intelligence.

"AI has matured to a point where it is already shaping how we work, lead, and make decisions," she said. "His talk made me think about how I can use AI thoughtfully in my own career to work smarter, collaborate better, and make a real impact while keeping my values at the center."

Bridget Duah '27 found the talk "incredibly insightful" as a business analytics student.

"It made me feel more prepared and confident about my future career, knowing that as long as I embrace failure, keep learning, and stay a 'forever student,' which our school embraces, I'll be able to adapt and succeed in an AI-driven world."

Matthew Witkop '26, MBA '27 said his biggest takeaway was Bock's point that "whether AI becomes 'good or evil' is ultimately up to us, depending on how we choose to invest in and apply it", while Veronica Forth MBA '26 took to heart Bock's advice to "work hard at everything you do and have humility."

"He told us to be the absolute best you can be in whatever role you're given, and people will notice," said Forth. "That is how people rise, and keeping yourself humble and kind will take you far in both your personal and professional life."