Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
Future of work sessions forWinchester CollegeUniversity of GreenwichDiscoverASM TechnologiesGovernment of BahrainUnleashed
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Jeff and the team at PepsiCo asked Matthew to work with them on a new five-year Learning and Development (L&D) strategy, to be rolled out across the whole PepsiCo organisation. He rates it as one of the most progressive and future-proof L&D programmes he has seen, driven by a team with an appetite to explore everything the future holds, warts and all. Many organisations say hiring and retaining the right talent is one of their biggest problems; Matthew's view is that it can be solved with enough foresight and the right L&D strategy and company support.
The backdrop is a work revolution not unlike the first Industrial Age. AI is upending blue-collar work through increasingly sophisticated robots, such as humanoids, and white-collar work by automating cognitive tasks. Many forecasters, including the WEF, expect AI to partially or fully automate up to 80% of jobs by the end of the decade, while Sam Altman of OpenAI says AI will in time automate 100% of jobs and describes AGI as an AI that ‘is capable of outperforming all humans at all economically valuable work’.
"Today we are facing a work revolution not unlike the one we witnessed during the first Industrial Age, as technologies such as AI upend both blue collar and white collar work."Matthew Griffin, United States, March 2025
In the workshop Matthew examined the technology itself, then focused on how to minimise the downsides for the workforce, how to use AI to lift everyone up, and how to adapt successfully to the new paradigm. He also explored how it could change company structures for good.
He closed with his Future of Jobs and Work framework, built to identify the human jobs of the future, those that cannot be fully or successfully automated, the skills they need, and the highest-paid jobs to come.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Make learning your talent strategy.
Matthew argues hiring and retention problems can be solved with foresight and the right learning and development strategy. Training becomes a competitive weapon.
Plan for both kinds of automation.
Robots are reaching blue collar work while AI automates cognitive tasks. Workforce plans need to cover the factory and the office at once.
Redesign the organisation, not just the jobs.
The session explored how AI could change company structures for good. Roles, teams and reporting lines will need to change with the work.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our roles are most exposed to automation in the next five years?
Does our learning strategy build the skills of the human jobs that will last?
How should our structure change as AI takes on more tasks?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Both office and factory work are changing. Employers need learning strategies that move people into the jobs AI cannot fully automate, and structures that suit mixed human and AI work.
How does Cognitive Automation relate to this session?
The session described AI automating cognitive, white collar tasks. The 311 Starburst tracks Cognitive Automation as a trend expected to be mainstream around 2026.
What is the Human and AI Teams trend?
Managers are starting to direct AI agents alongside people, and firms are redesigning teams around that. The 311 Starburst expects it to be mainstream around 2029.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
A heavy AI user directs about 18 people's work.
311 Institute's research finds a heavy AI user already directs the work of about 18 people for $180 a month. For L&D leaders, that changes which jobs and skills are worth building.
