AI and Our Time at Work - MIT CSAIL Podcast

In this special live taping of the CSAIL Alliances Podcast, host Kara Miller explores big questions on AI and the future of work with two MIT researchers leading research on technology and labor—David Autor, MIT economist and coauthor of The Work of the Future, and Neil Thompson, Director of MIT FutureTech.
Together, they unpack what the evidence actually says about AI and work—cutting through hype, fear, and speculation. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping tasks (not just jobs), why productivity gains have been uneven, and what history can teach us about today’s moment. From software development and medicine to insurance, law, and gig work, Autor and Thompson explain when AI acts as a powerful collaborator—and when full automation simply isn’t realistic or cost-effective.

Topics include:

• Why “AI exposure” doesn’t automatically mean job loss
• How automation can raise wages in some roles while lowering them in others
• The risks of over-reliance on AI and declining human expertise
• Why design and economics—not just technology—shape AI’real-world impact
• What an aging workforce and declining immigration mean for AI adoption

This episode offers a grounded, thoughtful look at how AI is actually being used today—and what that means for workers, organizations, and society going forward.

Listen here...