Economist Tyler Cowen on How ChatGPT Is Changing Your Job - Ep. 7 with Tyler Cowen
Jan 24, 2024
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Tyler Cowen, a renowned economist from George Mason University and author of the influential blog Marginal Revolution, shares his insights on the transformative power of ChatGPT. He discusses how the AI enhances his intellectual pursuits and acts as a ‘universal translator’ during travel. Cowen predicts that skills like charisma may become increasingly valuable alongside AI. He also explores the evolving labor market, emphasizing the dual effects of AI on job skills and interpersonal dynamics. A thought-provoking conversation on adapting to an AI-driven future!
ChatGPT can be used as a universal translator during travel, making it easier to navigate unfamiliar languages and cultures.
AI has the potential to stratify the economy, with those effectively using AI reaping the greatest benefits in the long run.
ChatGPT is a valuable tool for research and learning, providing additional insights and information on obscure topics.
Deep dives
Using Chat GPT as a Universal Translator and Menu Decoder
One practical use of Chat GPT is as a universal translator when traveling to foreign countries. By taking a photo of a menu or signage, users can ask GPT to translate the content, making it easier to navigate unfamiliar languages and cultures. This feature adds convenience and flavor to trips abroad. Additionally, Chat GPT can be used to interpret and understand menus, helping users make informed choices in restaurants around the world.
The Impact of AI on the Economy and Job Market
In the podcast, Tyler Cowen discusses the impact of AI on the economy and job market. He explains how, in his book 'Average is Over,' he predicted a stratification in the economy due to intelligent machines, which has progressively unfolded. Cowen acknowledges that AI can empower individuals by allowing them to perform tasks they couldn't otherwise do, thus boosting productivity for some. However, in the long run, he believes the effects will be less egalitarian, as those who can effectively harness AI to start and execute projects will reap the greatest benefits. Cowen also mentions that AI technologies can disrupt management consulting firms by providing similar advice and expertise more affordably.
Using Chat GPT for Research and Learning
Tyler Cowen discusses his use of Chat GPT for research and learning purposes. He highlights its value as a second screen while reading, allowing him to obtain additional insights, explanations, and context related to the primary sources he is studying. Cowen also emphasizes using Chat GPT to ask specific questions about obscure historical topics or complex subjects, which may not have abundant published literature available. He mentions that while Chat GPT's responses may not always be flawless, it often outperforms other sources, making it a valuable tool for gathering information. Additionally, Cowen touches upon how Chat GPT can be used in the classroom, where students can utilize it for language improvement or as an aid for brainstorming and writing papers.
The Core Lessons of Economics
The core lessons of economics, according to the podcast episode, are that incentives matter and there is always an opportunity cost. These principles are considered essential in economic science and are indicators of a good economist.
Artificial Intelligence's Impact on Understanding Economics
The podcast explores the potential impact of AI, particularly tools like chat GPT, on our understanding of economic and human behavior. While the guest doesn't believe that AI will fundamentally alter our understanding of economics in the next decade, they suggest that in the future, simulating small economies using AI methods might be possible and could provide valuable insights. However, this is seen as a more distant possibility, with data collection being the current constraint.
Tyler Cowen is an economist who has been thinking about the impact of technology on life, work, and the economy for the past decade.
He is a prolific writer behind the leading economic blog Marginal Revolution, a professor of economics at George Mason University, and the author of 17 books.
In this episode, I dive deep with him on how ChatGPT will change the economy, and how he uses it in his own life. We get into:
How ChatGPT makes him smarter
How he uses it for deep reading and research
How it acts as a “universal translator” when he travels
How he uses ChatGPT and Perplexity AI together
How “charisma” and “a hyped-up executive function” may be the most economically rewarded skills over the next 10 years
His thoughts on the allocation economy and the future of work with AI-assistance
Whether a ChatGPT clone of Tyler’s personality would answer questions in the same way Tyler does himself
This is a must-watch for anyone who wants insights on adapting to the future of work.
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