Simon Johnson, MIT professor and co-author of Power and Progress, challenges the prevailing narrative that AI must inevitably replace workers. He argues that the future of AI depends on deliberate choices—whether it becomes a tool for worker empowerment or a mechanism for corporate consolidation. Johnson traces historical patterns of technological transformation, explaining how past industrial revolutions created new jobs alongside automation. He warns that without intervention from policymakers, business leaders, and society, AI could concentrate wealth and decision-making power in the hands of a small elite. His vision for “pro-worker AI” calls for strategic investments, regulations, and policies that ensure technological progress benefits the many, not just the few.
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