David Autor on AI’s impact on jobs, expertise, and labor markets
What if AI helped people develop and deepen their existing expertise, and better outfitted them for the jobs of the future? This week, Reid and Aria are joined by one of the world’s leading labor economists, David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics at MIT and co-director of its Work of the Future Task Force. He is also a Visiting Fellow in the Google Technology and Society Program. David’s landmark research on the China Shock has become foundational for policymakers grappling with globalization’s labor impacts. Reid, Aria, and David discuss the parallels between China Shock and AI Shock, the labor market, how AI can help us make better decisions, automation vs. collaboration, and AI’s potential to enhance human-centered jobs.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
2:27 - Hellos and intros
4:30 - China Shock vs. AI Shock
10:56 - How AI could affect skill-based labor
15:37 - Google Gemini aside: more about the air traffic controller shortage
16:31 - How technologies can be amplifiers of expertise
22:09 - AI as a collaboration tool
24:52 - Why speed of labor market change makes a difference
29:25 - How AI can be good for the middle class
31:04 - Learning to use AI to your advantage
34:27 - More upward mobility at work
41:39 - Technology increasing quality of life
47:34 - Tools to put in place to ensure improvements for all
50:29 - Successfully transitioning to a new AI future
56:51 - Rapid-fire questions
Select mentions:
Geoffrey Hinton
WALL-E
Mad Max: Fury Road
NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series
Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
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Reid riffs on massive AI acquisitions, robotics, and headcount trimming
Aria and Reid dive into the recent flurry of multibillion-dollar AI acquisitions—from OpenAI’s $3B Windsurf deal to Meta’s ~$15B stake in Scale AI—and what they reveal about how companies are racing to refactor for an AI-first future. Are acquihires overtaking acquisitions as the new strategic advantage? And how are companies balancing workforce shifts with long-term innovation? Plus, a look at the robotics boom, government investment in AI, and the underrated wisdom of Adam Smith.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
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Hannah Fry on AI, Algorithms, and Human Nature
What happens when we take numbers seriously—not just at face value, but in terms of their actual impact on our lives?
This week, Reid and Aria are joined by UK-based mathematician and media personality Hannah Fry to explore this deceptively simple question. From cancer diagnoses to dating apps, Hannah makes the case that understanding the math behind our decisions—and the "game" we're really playing—is essential to building a better future.
They discuss why regret minimization is often a better guide than raw percentages in assessing risks; Hannah’s advice on finding love in a sea of swipe-rights; and how a well-framed question can be more powerful than the right answer. Plus, Inflection’s Pi chimes in with a few Jane-Austen-themed math jokes.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
3:01 - Hellos and intros
3:15 - Considering hairdressing, instant feedback, and becoming a broadcaster
5:11 - Making math emotionally resonant
7:37 - Math as power and who gets to shape the future
9:10 - Understanding AI through probabilities and spectrums
12:01 - The emotional limits of statistics in medical decision-making
16:22 - Choosing the right “game” to optimize for
19:57 - How to build systems that self-correct
23:19 - Rethinking education and assessments in the AI era
26:42 - Updating dating advice for the AI age
30:03 - Real-life “Black Mirror”
36:11 - Storytelling vs. statistics
41:47 - Probability thinking, AI confidence, and useful heuristics
45:31 - Pi delivers math-themed Jane Austen jokes
47:15 - Rapid-fire questions
Select mentions:
Google DeepMind: The Podcast
The Mathematics of Love TED Talk
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut
“Women also Snowboard: Overcoming Bias in Captioning Models” by Kaylee Burns, Lisa Anne Hendricks, Kate Saenko, Trevor Darrell, and Anna Rohrbach
Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
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Reid riffs on if AI can become conscious
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On this week's Riffs, Reid and Aria unpack last week’s conversation with Yuval Noah Harari, discussing AI's rapid advancements, its potential impacts on humanity, and the meaning of consciousness. Reid and Aria also discuss who will be responsible for making sure AI is aligned with human values –– no matter what the future looks like.
00:00 Introduction and overview
00:16 Reflecting on the conversation with Yuval
05:14 The role of AI labs and accountability
11:45 Philosophical questions on AI and consciousness
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
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Yuval Noah Harari on trust, the dangers of AI, power, and revolutions
What will it take to create AI that is as trustworthy, if not more trustworthy than humans?
This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and best-selling author of several books including Nexus, Sapiens and Homo Deus. When it comes to outlook on AI, Yuval, Reid, and Aria agree on the importance of building both human trust in AI and AI that is genuinely truth-seeking, but they differ on how possible it is to achieve.
Together, they dig into their diverging opinions on the outcomes of the AI revolution, global cooperation, and how AI will learn from humans. They also discuss the differences between intelligence and consciousness, and whether conscious AI is a goal worth pursuing.
Yuval turns to history to ground his warnings about AI. Even though he’s cautious about technology, he is critical of cynicism. Yuval shares his philosophy on human compassion as a guiding principle that can allow us to steer away from collapse and ultimately, build a better AI future.
For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/
Topics:
3:38 - Hellos and intros
3:58 - Questions for the Buddha
5:48 - Yuval’s relationship with technology
8:57 - Technologies that help humans share stories and myths
10:37 - Is AI the most significant invention after writing
13:02 - How AI will transform society
20:12 - Guidance for a successful AI revolution
24:24 - Using AI to support humanity's self-correcting mechanisms
26:13 - Midroll
26:45 - How to build self-correcting mechanisms for a better future
31:28 - Humans as parents of AI
36:33 - What political leaders need to do to create a positive AI future
39:11 - Artificial intelligence v.s. artificial consciousness
42:35 - AI as a tool for rebuilding trust
44:50 - Rapid-fire Questions
Select mentions:
History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours
Heartstopper
Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
What if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Possible is an award-winning, weekly podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Hosts Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger explore what’s possible with forward-thinking leaders, deep thinkers, and ambitious builders across many fields, such as technology, art, education and healthcare. These conversations center on the ways technology—and, in particular, AI—is shaping the future. In episodes, AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Inflection’s Pi are at work, offering informational asides, prompting guests, or demoing what they can do. Lastly, between guest episodes, Aria interviews her co-host Reid on his latest takes on what’s possible if we use technology—and our collective effort—effectively.
Listen to Possible, The AI Daily Brief (Formerly The AI Breakdown): Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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