AI is changing how work gets done, and the effects are not spread evenly. Some jobs are automated, others are reshaped, and new ones appear, while the gains from the technology may flow mostly to a small number of companies and workers. The ethical questions are about both jobs and inequality: who benefits, who bears the costs, and who gets to decide.
The lessons begin with a short sociologist's view of the hype around AI and unemployment, followed by economist Daniel Susskind on why AI's effect on work is partly a choice, depending on whether it replaces or complements workers. A documentary then looks at the hidden workforce of data labellers and content moderators who help train AI systems, often for low pay and with little support. The final lesson is a longer talk by Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu on technology, power and shared prosperity.
Economists disagree about how large and how lasting AI's effects on employment will be, so treat these lessons as perspectives rather than forecasts. Watch them in order, then continue on to Environmental Impact & Sustainability.
LSE sociologist Judy Wajcman separates the hype from the evidence on AI and unemployment, drawing on lessons from earlier waves of automation.
Video 6minDaniel Susskind argues that AI's effect on work is a choice rather than an inevitability, depending on whether the technology substitutes for workers or complements them.
Video 21minA DW Documentary on the hidden workforce of data annotators and content moderators who train AI systems, and how they are organising for better conditions. Includes discussion of distressing content.
Video 22minNobel laureate Daron Acemoglu presents the argument of his book Power and Progress: that the benefits of new technology are not automatic, and depend on how it is used and who holds power. Followed by a Q&A with Thomas Piketty. A long, optional watch.
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