Salem Elzway is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California, specializing in industrial robots and labor history, while Jason Resnikoff is an assistant professor at the University of Groningen, focusing on automation's historical significance. They delve into the complex narrative of automation, debunking common misconceptions and exploring its impact on labor and productivity. The discussion highlights historical perspectives on technological unemployment, the evolution of labor movements, and the intricate relationship between automation and the modern workforce.
The podcast discusses the contrasting historical narratives of automation, highlighting the ongoing debate between optimistic technological predictions and skeptical critiques of productivity growth since the 1970s.
Collaboration among historians and researchers is emphasized as crucial for advancing knowledge in technology and labor studies, encouraging shared interests to foster healthier academic discourse.
The conversation integrates the intersections of race and automation, examining how marginalized communities face unique challenges in the context of technological advancements and labor dynamics.
Deep dives
The Complexity of Automation Debate
The conversation highlights the complexity surrounding the topic of automation, emphasizing how misunderstood and fraught it is within technology studies. Historical narratives, such as the AI hype from 2014 and 2015, claim that significant technological changes would lead to drastic productivity gains and potential unemployment, yet these outcomes largely failed to materialize. Conversely, economist Robert Gordon's research suggests that productivity growth has remained relatively low since the 1970s, questioning the optimistic assumptions about the transformative impact of digital technology. This discourse reflects a significant divide within academia and industry, where contrasting perspectives on automation often lead to confusion and lack of rigorous research.
The Historical Context of Automation
The discussion assesses the historical context of automation, referencing key works from both scholars like Eric Brynjolfsson, who predict sweeping technological changes, and critics like Robert Gordon, who challenge such narratives. It draws attention to past periods of automation anxiety, particularly during the early AI bubble and the rise of digital technology, which failed to yield the anticipated job losses or productivity leaps. The differential perspectives illustrate a long-standing debate within academic circles regarding the implications of automation for labor and technological change. This highlights the need for historians and researchers to engage more with the practical experiences of workers in relation to technological advancements.
Collaborative Approaches in Academia
The podcast underscores the importance of collaboration among academics, particularly in the fields of history and technology studies where individual researchers often face pressures of competition. The hosts express enthusiasm for historians working together on shared interests, such as the examination of automation, which can lead to new insights and healthier academic discourse. This collaboration is exemplified through the co-authored piece that serves as a starting point for meaningful dialogue on shared research themes. Advocating for less territorialism among scholars could foster a more productive environment for advancing knowledge in technology and labor studies.
The Untold Story of Labor Automation
A significant focus of the episode is the untold narratives surrounding labor automation, particularly how automation should not be viewed solely as an independent technological force but rather as a subject of history shaped by various social and economic factors. The conversation critiques the tendency of some labor historians to treat automation as an isolated phenomenon rather than exploring its impacts through a broader historical lens. With insights drawn from various labor movements, the speakers argue that understanding automation requires a complex analysis of both its historical roots and its socio-economic transformations. This broader lens helps illuminate the intricate relationships between technology, labor, and capitalism.
Racial Dynamics in Automation Discourse
The podcast delves into the intersections between race and automation, arguing that discussions of technological advancement often overlook the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities. It references the historical treatment of African American labor in relation to mechanization, discussing how enslaved labor was perceived as analogous to machinery in work contexts. This discourse raises crucial questions about the implications of technological advancements for different demographics, initiating inquiries into how automation reinforces or challenges existing power structures. Ultimately, recognizing these dynamics emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in the historical narratives surrounding automation.
Future Research Directions
The speakers discuss their future research agendas, indicating a budding enthusiasm for exploring the history of automation, labor, and race. They highlight an intention to delve deeper into the narratives of African American workers and their relationship with mechanization, as well as how contemporary studies can inform these historical perspectives. Conversations about the role of unions and their responses to technological changes are also anticipated as focal points for future investigation. They collectively see an opportunity for rich dialogue around the impacts of automation across labor markets, linking it to broader societal implications and policy discussions.
Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with Salem Elzway, postdoctoral fellow in the Society of Fellows in the Humanities at University of Southern California, and Jason Resnikoff, assistant professor of contemporary history at the University of Groningen, about the history of automation. The discussion takes as its launching point an essay Elzway and Resnikoff published in the journal Labor titled, “Whence Automation?: The History (and Possible Futures) of a Concept.” The conversation approaches the history of automation and how to study it from a number of angles, including diving into Elzway’s and Resnikoff’s individual research agendas, as well as discussion of the nature of collaborative work in history, a field that can sometimes be all-too competitive and turf-like.
