Changing Configuration and Conception of Professionalism with Incursion of Artificial Intelligence.

In the literature on Sociology of Professions, the concept of professionalism is theorized and conceptualized as a trait, incorporating distinct attributes and an intrinsic aptitude in practice of a profession that distinguish it from an occupation or a vocation. Further, the traits and prerequisites of professionalism vary contextually with the field of professions and professional onuses and dictates, which in turn vary with organizational culture and technological milieu as well as depending on the nature and sector of professional practice. It is in this context, ascertaining empirically the implications of recent scientific and technological innovations that have immediate applications to the world of work, for professional practice and conception of professionalism could be viewed as of Sociological significance and relevance. One such innovative technological intervention that has pervaded almost every sphere of economy is Artificial Intelligence, be it healthcare, education, ICT, industrial production, defense, transport, media and entertainment and many more. Such an intervention may require revising and reorienting the professional roles and responsibilities on the one hand and refining and redefining the concept of professionalism on the other in diverse professional contexts. The ideal typical traits of professionalism like formal credentials, autonomy, competence, expertise, adaptability, ethics, exclusive professional identity and entitlement appear to be contextually revised to adapt and align to the changing role expectations and organizational structures engineered by Artificial Intelligence. The session invites papers focusing conceptually and empirically on professionalism in the wake of Artificial Intelligence.