The Future of Worker Enhancement

Announced in 2016 and concluded in 2023, the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier was one of the 10 Big Idea initiatives of the National Science Foundation, built on convergence of many fields of engineering and also some social and cognitive science that served primarily a supportive rather than critical role. Drawing upon extensive data from the NSF online grant abstracts system, this article considers how the United States seeks to enhance the productivity of workers, but possibly limited to abilities that enhance national economic and military competitiveness in an unstable world, rather than improving worker prosperity and social well-being. Some research exploring the wider implications of artificial intelligence and related technologies did emerge, so it receives emphasis. The data required for this study were entirely public, and further research focused on particular topics can be conducted by downloading new and expanded data from the NSF website.