Ulysseus research group publishes manifesto on work in the age of AI
Université Côte d’Azur recently hosted a two-day in-person meeting of the Ulysseus research group “Future of Meaningful Work”, bringing together researchers from across Europe to advance a shared research agenda on one of today’s most pressing questions: what makes work meaningful in the age of artificial intelligence?
Created in 2025, the group brings together partners from Université Côte d’Azur (France), MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®(Austria), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and University of Montenegro. During the meeting in Nice, researchers collaborated on joint publications, developed new research initiatives, and took the first steps towards a collective manifesto on meaningful work. This manifesto is now available and sets out a series of foundational convictions and a forward-looking research agenda. It responds to the profound transformations currently reshaping work:
“Work is undergoing a profound and irreversible transformation. The convergence of artificial intelligence, algorithmic governance, and accelerating organisational change is reshaping not only how we work, but also why we work and for whom.”
It also reframes meaningful work as a complex and contested phenomenon. Rather than treating meaningful work as a motivational or well-being indicator, the manifesto positions it as a central research concern for management and organisation theory, calling for renewed empirical and conceptual attention in the context of technological and organisational change.
“Meaningful work is neither a static ideal nor a purely individual pursuit. It is a socially situated, contested, and collectively produced phenomenon, shaped by organisational practices, technological systems, and structural power relations.”
The publication of this manifesto marks an important milestone for the group and reflects the strength of international collaboration within the Ulysseus alliance, fostering interdisciplinary research and forward-looking academic exchange.