Solutions with Henry Blodget Reasons to be an AI Jobs Optimist
7 snips
Mar 16, 2026 
David Deming, Harvard economist who studies technology and the future of work. He explains why a full AI jobs apocalypse is unlikely. He compares past tech shifts to today. He highlights rapid generative AI adoption and which roles are most exposed. He discusses policy, education, and how social skills and deep expertise matter in an AI world.
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Farming's Decline Shows How Jobs Transform Over Time
- The biggest economic shift was the decline of farming from ~40% to <2% of US jobs, showing massive tech-driven job transformation over decades.
- That shift occurred gradually over a century, allowing new occupations and prosperity to emerge.
Midcentury Was More Disruptive Than Today
- Measured over 150 years, mid-20th century showed the highest occupational churn, not today's period.
- Major shifts then included mechanized farming and automobiles replacing railroads, producing rapid reallocation across occupations.
Generative AI Adoption Is Rapid And Widespread
- Generative AI adoption is very fast: ~40% of people reported using it by late 2024, and 24% used it at work weekly.
- Early adoption speed rivals or exceeds the PC and internet at the same stage, signaling wide diffusion ahead.
