Andrew McAfee on AI, Jobs, and ‘Permissionless Innovation’

What if the biggest risk isn’t too much technological progress—but too little?
In this episode of the Century of Plenty podcast, Chris Bradley and Marc Canal speak with MIT’s Andrew McAfee about technological progress, AI, inequality, and the prospects for continued growth. McAfee reflects on AI’s accelerated progress, makes the case for “permissionless innovation,” and explains why he believes rising prosperity can be decoupled from ever-growing resource use. They discuss:
◼ Why exponential technological progress is so difficult to predict and why McAfee believes efforts to steer innovations risk constraining their benefits.
◼ What the past 15 years have taught us about automation, jobs, and inequality, including why McAfee has become less concerned about mass technological unemployment.
◼ How technology, markets, public awareness, and effective government action can enable continued economic growth while reducing resource intensity and environmental impact.
Chapters:
[00:00:00] How far have we come?
[00:09:34] Why we underestimate technological progress
[00:12:47] Should we try to steer AI?
[00:25:32] What technology means for jobs and inequality
[00:46:25] Is AI breaking the first rung of the career ladder?
[00:52:02] Can we get more from less?
[01:05:05] Are we actually running out of resources?
[01:07:17] The case for optimism
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