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

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. -- 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 -- SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | SQUAD | BRAVE Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Squad:💥 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. Brave: Get first-party targeting with Brave’s private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. -- 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 -- 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 -- 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) -- For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact [email protected]