Supporting Workforce Adaptation in the Age of AI
The Wharton People Analytics Upskilling Lab is dedicated to addressing critical workforce challenges and opportunities presented by AI. As the impact of AI on the workforce grows, questions arise: What jobs will emerge? Which roles will disappear? How will AI reshape current jobs?
Our goal is to help organizations proactively navigate these changes by providing insights into the skills and processes necessary for future workforce success, implementing evidence-based processes to hire, upskill, and reskill effectively.
The Role of AI in Workforce Transformation
AI presents unique opportunities for organizations, including scalable skill assessments and personalized learning, to foster inclusive and sustainable workforce growth. By leveraging AI, firms can:
Our Key Initiatives
To help organizations navigate AI’s impact on workforce development, the Upskilling Lab focuses on these initiatives:
Industry-Specific AI Impact
Examining AI’s effect on various sectors for workforce planning.
Skill Assessment & Development
Partnering with companies to design and implement scalable skill assessments.
Equity in Hiring and Promotion
Leveraging AI to improve equity in hiring practices and skill-based promotion opportunities.
Adoption and Effectiveness of Upskilling
Analyzing industry adoption of AI and evaluating organizational upskilling outcomes.
Featured Project
Pilot Study of Using Employee Workflow Data to Create Skill Assessment Measures
The Upskilling Lab, with support from Walmart, is exploring whether employer workflow data can develop effective skill assessments for frontline workers. Key components of this project include:
- Examining the Systems: Exploring how employer workflow data can be used to create objective and dynamic skill measures for frontline workers.
- Input and Feedback: Soliciting employer feedback to inform the next phase of research and generate ideas for improving our skill assessment measures. Our goal is to prompt organizations to reconsider how they are identifying and developing skills to advance business goals.
- Examining the Data: Acquiring detailed workforce data from partner organizations to test the applicability of the skill measures on employee mobility and skill gaps.
The Moh Foundation Applied Insights Team of Wharton students supports this project, enhancing both the research and students’ abilities to integrate data-driven decision-making.
Meet the Team
The Upskilling Lab is guided by a distinguished group of Wharton faculty, including experts in workforce dynamics and AI integration. They are supported by a dedicated data science and research team, as well as our competitively selected Applied Insights Teams.
Matthew Bidwell
Xingmei Zhang and Yongge Dai Professor
Professor of Management
Faculty Director, Wharton People Analytics
Lindsey Cameron
Assistant Professor of Management
John Paul MacDuffie
Professor of Management
Daniel Rock
Assistant Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe
Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
Get Involved
Interested in partnering with the Upskilling Lab or learning more? Contact Laura Zarrow, Executive Director, Wharton People Analytics, to address critical workforce challenges and opportunities in the age of AI.