History Claps Back on Techno-Optimism, with Daron Acemoglu

Do emerging technologies inherently serve the greater good? Join Policy Prompt hosts Vass and Paul in a discussion with world-renowned economist Daron Acemoglu, on his recent book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, co-authored with Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, 2023). Following the launch of this episode, the announcement was made that Acemoglu, Johnson and James Robinson share this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on global inequality. The hosts and Acemoglu discuss the implications of technological prowess on the global stage, the impacts of artificial intelligence on the future of work and education, and the building blocks of techno-optimism.

Mentioned:

• Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (PublicAffairs, 2023)
• GenAI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit? (Goldman Sachs, June 25, 2024)

Further Reading:

• Daron Acemoglu, “The Simple Macroeconomics of AI” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, May 12, 2024)
• Robin Wigglesworth, “Daron Acemoglu is not having all this AI hype” (Financial Times, May 28, 2024)
• Thomas B. Edsall, “Will A.I. Be a Creator or a Destroyer of Worlds?” (The New York Times, June 25, 2024)
• Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty (Penguin Random House, 2020)

In-Show Clips:

• TED with Cathie Wood: “Why AI Will Spark Exponential Economic Growth”
• Goldman Sachs: “A skeptical look at AI investment”
• TEDxSioux Falls with Natasha Berg: “Should we let students use ChatGPT?”
• CBC News, About That: “AI's hidden climate costs”
• TODAY: “Teens open up about the impact of social media on their lives”

Credits:
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our technical producers are Tim Lewis and Melanie DeBonte. Fact-checking and background research provided by Reanne Cayenne. Marketing by Kahlan Thomson. Brand design by Abhilasha Dewan and creative direction by Som Tsoi.

Original music by Joshua Snethlage.

Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.

Special thanks to creative consultant Ken Ogasawara.

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