Franciscan University Professor Featured in The Wall Street Journal on the Future of Work

As artificial intelligence transforms industries and workplaces around the world, economists and policymakers are grappling with one of the defining questions of our time: What will happen to work? In a nationally published opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Stephen Lewarne, professor of economics and finance at Franciscan University of Steubenville, challenges the growing narrative that AI will lead to widespread unemployment. Drawing on labor market data, hiring trends, and economic research, Lewarne argues that the greater challenge lies elsewhere: how businesses, universities, and institutions will prepare the next generation of professionals to develop the skills, judgment, and expertise needed in an AI-driven economy. His analysis reflects Franciscan University’s commitment to forming leaders who can navigate the complex challenges of our age with intellectual rigor, moral clarity, and a deep understanding of the human person.

“The central challenge posed by AI likely isn’t that it will cause mass unemployment but that it will force businesses and institutions to redesign the programs and mechanisms by which workers can gain skills and acquire good judgment.”

Read Dr. Stephen Lewarne full interview in The Wall Street Journal