David Autor on AI’s impact on jobs, expertise, and labor markets

What if AI helped people develop and deepen their existing expertise, and better outfitted them for the jobs of the future? This week, Reid and Aria are joined by one of the world’s leading labor economists, David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics at MIT and co-director of its Work of the Future Task Force. He is also a Visiting Fellow in the Google Technology and Society Program. David’s landmark research on the China Shock has become foundational for policymakers grappling with globalization’s labor impacts. Reid, Aria, and David discuss the parallels between China Shock and AI Shock, the labor market, how AI can help us make better decisions, automation vs. collaboration, and AI’s potential to enhance human-centered jobs. For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/  Topics: 2:27 - Hellos and intros 4:30 - China Shock vs. AI Shock  10:56 - How AI could affect skill-based labor  15:37 - Google Gemini aside: more about the air traffic controller shortage 16:31 - How technologies can be amplifiers of expertise 22:09 - AI as a collaboration tool  24:52 - Why speed of labor market change makes a difference 29:25 - How AI can be good for the middle class 31:04 - Learning to use AI to your advantage 34:27 - More upward mobility at work  41:39 - Technology increasing quality of life  47:34 - Tools to put in place to ensure improvements for all  50:29 - Successfully transitioning to a new AI future 56:51 - Rapid-fire questions Select mentions:  Geoffrey Hinton WALL-E Mad Max: Fury Road NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.