Are we betting too much on AI? | Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu

The AI boom is accelerating, but what kind of economy are we actually building? I sit down with Nobel laureate and MIT economist Daron Acemoglu to explore what artificial intelligence could mean for jobs, wages, inequality, and democracy. As enormous amounts of capital and talent flow into the race for more powerful AI, Daron argues that the direction of the technology is still a choice. We unpack what an AI-first economy could look like, whether widespread job displacement is inevitable, why AI could raise both productivity and wages if designed differently, and how it could instead contribute to a more unequal, two-tier society. We also explore the U.S.–China AI race, the limits of universal basic income, and what governments, companies, and civil society can do while the future is still being shaped. Daron Acemoglu is an Institute Professor of Economics at MIT, a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, and co-author of Why Nations Fail and Power and Progress. --- Follow Daron Acemoglu Daron’s Latest Book: What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity X Follow my work here: Substack Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter / X YouTube TikTok