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. -- 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. -- RELATED SHOW: 10x Capital Podcast Check out our show The 10x Capital Podcast with David Weisburd, where David talks to the investors behind the investors: https://10xcapitalpodcast.com/ RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Turpentine Finance Host Sasha Orloff (3x Founder & CEO) is joined by top founders and finance leaders at high growth tech companies who share how they navigated huge make-or-break decisions, rode inflection points, and architected success. If you want to learn the mental models and tactics top business leaders and CFOs, subscribe below. Debut episode features Casey Woo unpacking his wild ride managing billions in budgets at WeWork – arguably one of the craziest capital stories ever. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BflNhFxxLjqT2RA47352G Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1704418764 -- 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 Sam@turpentine.co