David Autor, an MIT economics professor, and James Suzman, an anthropologist and author, explore the transformation of work in modern society. They discuss how 60% of today's jobs didn't exist in 1940, emphasizing the impact of automation and AI on traditional roles. Suzman shares insights from hunter-gatherer societies, contrasting their egalitarian practices with today's challenges in job satisfaction and stability. Together, they envision the future of work, considering how technology will shape employment and the nature of labor itself.

James Suzman, an anthropologist and former executive, says one way to better understand the future of work is to learn from the history of it. He has studied an ancient hunter-gatherer society in Namibia and says our modern notions of work, economy, and productivity are perhaps too limiting. Suzman argues that humans have always been drawn to work for its intrinsic value, and that managers can prepare for the future workplace by broadening their thinking about work and purpose. Suzman is the author of the new book "Work: A History of How We Spend Our Time."