This session examines the effects of digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) on professional activities. Based on surveys, the papers present these contrasting effects on different professions. The aim is to identify the automation of work processes, to understand to what extent and how AI is making it possible to save time and increase reliability, but also to compete with established professional skills, promising productivity gains while threatening to deskill and disintermediate professionals.

ISA (International Sociological Association) 5th Forum of Sociology, 6-11 July 2025, Rabat.

Research Committee: RC52 Sociology of Professional Groups (host committee) Joint Session with RC23 Sociology of Science and Technology

Presentation

This session examines the effects of digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) on professional activities. Based on surveys, the papers present these contrasting effects on different professions. The aim is to identify the automation of work processes, to understand to what extent and how AI is making it possible to save time and increase reliability, but also to compete with established professional skills, promising productivity gains while threatening to deskill and disintermediate professionals. To do this, this session focuses on the interaction between these technologies and the professional practices of workers. How workers in different sectors (such as medical and legal), evaluate and use (or not) artificial intelligence tools? For what reasons? How they redefine professional boundaries and expertise?

Submission guidelines

Format: Oral Language: English, French

Abstracts (and papers) may be submitted in English or French.

They should be posted on the ISA website

before 2024 October 10th.

Session Organizer

Corinne DELMAS, Université Gustave Eiffel/LATTS (UMR 8134), France, corinne.delmas@univ-eiffel.fr