Digital Transformation and the Future of Work: Shifts In Capitalism and New Social Conflicts

Digital transformation—epitomized by smart manufacturing, platforms, algorithms, and artificial intelligence (AI)—is reshaping the ways in which production, labor, consumption, and governance operate. These new economic activities have been seen as an engine of growth within the discourse of market euphoria; yet the changes have raised questions about possible contradictions and whether they represent a new phase in capitalism. The session explores the ongoing digital transformation from sociological and political-economic perspectives and calls for concrete case analyses on the following questions, though not limited to them:

1. Does digital transformation signify a new mode of accumulation or a new stage in the development of capitalism? How can concepts such as platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism, digital capitalism, and AI capitalism explain the current changes? What are the forms and governance mechanisms?
2. What new conflicts and inequalities is the digital transformation generating in the world of work and society?
3. What are the social implications of phenomena such as algorithmic control, platform labour, the concentration of data power, labour market polarization?
4. Advanced countries are launching reindustrialization. At the same time, the Global South is experiencing premature deindustrialization due to digitalization and the shift toward a service economy. What are the implications of these changes for the future of development and industrial policies?

This session aims to explore the social significance and future of the digital transformation through theoretical discussions and case studies from various industries and countries.