Artificial Intelligence and You

275 - Guest: Carl Benedikt Frey, Professor of AI and Work, part 2

Sep 22, 2025
Carl Benedikt Frey, Associate Professor at the Oxford Internet Institute and director of the Future of Work Programme, discusses his timely new book, 'How Progress Ends.' He explores the critical role of technological exploration for long-term growth and why AI has yet to boost productivity significantly. Frey highlights the importance of decentralized innovation, competition, and antitrust measures. He emphasizes that universities must adapt to rapid changes in AI, and warns that progress is fragile, requiring proactive support to ensure it continues.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Growth Needs Both Exploration And Institutions

  • Long-run growth requires technological change plus institutions that let new industries scale.
  • Exploration reduces short-term productivity to reach higher long-term technological plateaus.
INSIGHT

AI Needs Breakthroughs To Raise Productivity

  • AI hasn't yet produced broad productivity gains because it lacks a 'separate condenser' breakthrough and resilience in changing environments.
  • Until AI creates new industries rather than just automating tasks, sustained productivity surges are unlikely.
ADVICE

Encourage Decentralized AI Exploration

  • Support decentralized exploration and open-source development to maximize the chance of transformative AI innovations.
  • Monitor market concentration because small firms are likelier to use AI to create new products and scale industries.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app