Behind the Markets Podcast: Simon Johnson

Show from 07/07/23 Prof. Siegel talks to us about the new market data and the current unemployment rate reports this week (10:35). Jeremy and Chris are joined today by Simon who discusses his new book Power and Progress: Our 1000-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity. They talk about the importance of AI for human-kind and its comparison to previous technologies. Simon gets into detail on the positive implications of AI but warns against the potential negatives. They debate whether people should support purchasing goods from countries that do not have safe guards for surveillance tech. Simon gives his opinion on the tech elite, government involvement, as well as job creation and tax inequality tied with advancements in technology. Guest: Simon Johnson is the Ronald A. Kurtz (1954) Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is head of the Global Economics and Management group. In 2007-08 he was chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, and he currently co-chairs the CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council. In February 2021, Johnson joined the board of directors of Fannie Mae. Johnson’s most recent book, with Daron Acemoglu, Power and Progress: Our 1000-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, explores the history and economics of major technological transformations up to and including the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence. Learn more at: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/simon-johnson Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-johnson-17b40645/ Chris Gannatti is Head of Research at WisdomTree Europe Follow him on Twitter: @CGannatti