E53: Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith on What AI Actually Means for the Economy

"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

This week on Upstream, Erik is joined by Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith for a deep dive on how AI will impact job markets, the social contract, and the role of the government. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

The AI Daily Brief If you’re looking for an edge to stay up to date on everything AI, subscribe to Nathaniel Whittemore's AI Daily Brief which delivers tight episodes covering all things AI from legislation to new technologies to the philosophical debates around generalized intelligence.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7gKwwMLFLc6RmjmRpbMtEO

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ai-daily-brief-formerly-the-ai-breakdown/id1680633614

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Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns

Each episode of Company Breakdowns dives into S-1s and series B-and-beyond companies, interviewing founders and investors to break down the companies. First episode is on Rubrik - which just IPO'd. Coming up this season: Databricks, Reddit + more,

Spotify

Apple

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:50) AI and the Future of Employment

(03:57) The Intersection of AI, Robotics, and Biotech

(05:00) Economic Disruption

(06:40) Future of Jobs in an AI-Dominated World

(08:27) AI's Impact on Economy

(10:34) Pessimism Surrounding AI's Economic Impact

(12:17) Comparative Advantage in the AI Era

(13:50) AI Replacing Human Jobs

(19:03) Sponsor: Squad | Brave

(21:24) New Social Contract in the AI Era

(34:38) Human Wages in an AI-Dominated Economy

(39:36) Impact of AI on Job Market

(41:45) Fear of AI Taking Over Human Jobs

(47:51) Role of Government in AI Development

(50:09) Potential Risks and Benefits of AI

(53:15) Future of AI and Its Social Impact

(58:38) Fear of Totalitarian States and AI

(01:03:13) The Need for a Positive Vision for AI

(01:11:03) Wrap up

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X / TWITTER:

https://twitter.com/noahsmith (Noah)

https://twitter.com/Labenz (Nathan)

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg (Erik)

https://twitter.com/Upstream__Pod (Upstream)

https://twitter.com/TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)

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