Debunking Economics - the podcast AI and the death of work
Jun 11, 2025
Bill Gates envisions a two-day work week thanks to AI, prompting a reevaluation of our workplaces. There's a debate about whether new jobs will emerge as automation takes over existing roles. The discussion highlights rising housing costs and workforce stress exacerbated by neoliberal policies. With automation potentially leading to greater economic disparities, voices call for universal basic income solutions amid concerns about increasing energy consumption from AI. The landscape of labor and tech ethics raises urgent questions about our societal future.
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Work Hours Predictions Fail
- Bill Gates and John Maynard Keynes predicted drastically reduced working hours due to technological advances.
- However, increased productivity has historically led to more work and stress, not less work time.
Labor Supply and Power Dynamics
- Increased labor supply and power shift to capitalists caused longer work hours and lower real wages.
- Women joining the workforce increased labor supply and changed household economic dynamics.
Tech Progress Depends on Power
- Technological progress benefits depend on workers securing a substantial income share.
- Energy exploitation drives productivity, but political shifts reduced workers' bargaining power, increasing inequality.
