A lot of full-time jobs in the modern economy simply don't pay a living wage. And even those jobs may be obliterated by new technologies. What's to be done so that financially vulnerable people aren't just crushed? It may finally be time for an idea that economists have promoted for decades.
Yesterday
693. What’s Our Job as Humans Anymore?
It may just be being human. Stephen Dubner interviews A.I. performer Tilly Norwood to find out if we are as replaceable as we fear. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Sean Astin, actor, president of SAG-AFTRA.Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired.Ethan Mollick, associate profess ... Show More
57m 32s
Oct 23
692. What Will A.I. Do to (and for) Human Creativity?
Writers, designers, actors, coders, musicians, thinkers — they’re all worried about being replaced by machines. But what if the A.I.s are actually here to help? (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Sean Astin, actor, president of SAG-AFTRA.Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired.Eth ... Show More
59m 9s
Sep 2025
What Happens When Capitalism Doesn't Need Workers Anymore?
Imagine a world where AI outsmarts you at work—scary, right? From the Philippines to the US, AI is changing the economic landscape, increasing the GDP of rich nations (5.4% in the US) while putting millions of jobs at risk in developing countries. Will machines leave you behind, ... Show More
15m 29s
Aug 2024
The case for good jobs — and why they're good for business too | Zeynep Ton
Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their peop ... Show More
15m 9s
Oct 2023
The tech we need to fight workplace ageism | Piyachart Phiromswad
From exoskeletons and robotic arms to the mass adoption of remote work, economist Piyachart Phiromswad explores what seniors need to overcome the physical, mental and societal barriers to employment, a necessary shift in our rapidly aging world. Learn more about how these tools c ... Show More
10m 22s
Oct 2024
Will the end of economic growth come by design — or disaster? | Gaya Herrington
What if solving poverty, caring for nature and fostering well-being were the ultimate goals of the economy, instead of growth for its own sake? Environmentalist and economist Gaya Herrington proposes a shift in thinking from "never enough" to "enough for each," asking us to conte ... Show More
13m 23s
Nov 2024
Labour's Economic Conundrum
William Davies joins Tom to assess the efforts of the new Labour government in tackling the UK's many economic challenges. They consider whether Rachel Reeves’s first budget, with its substantial tax rises, can do anything more than arrest the decline of the public finances, and ... Show More
55m 19s