Aalto University
Dr Otto Kässi is a Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science at Aalto University and a Senior Researcher at Etla Economic Research Institute. An economist by training, his research explores how digital technologies are transforming labour markets, business organisation, industrial policy, and digital sovereignty. His recent work focuses especially on digital sovereignty and the contribution of public digital infrastructure to productivity, innovation, and economic resilience. Earlier in his career, he held research roles at the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Helsinki.
His work has appeared in leading academic journals including the Journal of Management, Journal of Human Resources, Industrial & Corporate Change, and Information, Communication & Society. His research has also attracted international media attention from outlets such as The Economist, The Guardian, and CBC. Among his distinctions are the OxTalent Information Visualization Prize from the University of Oxford, the OECD Future of Work Fellowship, and the title of Docent in Economics awarded by the University of Helsinki.
Dr Kässi regularly speaks at conferences and advises organisations including the European Commission and the OECD, as well as national governments, on the economic and policy implications of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. His expertise spans industrial policy, taxation, digital governance, and economic development. In addition, he has provided executive education for both startups and multinational companies in Finland and the United Kingdom. Before entering academia, he worked as a data scientist and executive at a Finnish digital startup. He earned both his M.Soc.Sc. and D.Soc.Sc. in Economics from the University of Helsinki.
By Fabian Braesemann, Fabian Stephany, Ole Teutloff, Otto Kässi, Mark Graham, Vili Lehdonvirta
Remote work connects global labour markets but remains highly unequal, concentrating in skilled workers, major cities, and a few regions while many rural and Global South areas lag behind.
By Ole Teutloff, Johanna Einsiedler, Otto Kässi, Fabian Braesemann, Pamela Mishkin and R. Maria del Rio-Chanona
ChatGPT reduced demand for substitutable freelance skills like writing, while increasing demand for AI-complementary skills such as machine learning and chatbot development.
By Fabian Braesemann, Vili Lehdonvirta, Otto Kässi
Online labour platforms help rural workers access high-skilled remote jobs, though the most isolated regions still benefit far less from these opportunities.
