Economist Podcasts Boss Class 1. Fat layer of humans
89 snips
Jan 31, 2026 
Tom Blomfield, entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Monzo and now partners at Y Combinator, discusses how generative AI will reshape work and software engineering. He argues AI will automate much knowledge work and thin the large operational workforce. He explores rapid AI startup growth, layered autonomous agents, and where humans still matter.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Will Thin The Human Layer
- Tom Blomfield predicts AI will thin the 'fat layer' of humans doing knowledge work over time.
- He argues many tasks will be automated and humans will move to a thin oversight layer or disappear entirely.
Small AI Wins Scale Fast In Enterprise
- Tom says AI startups now scale revenue far faster by solving narrow enterprise problems.
- He believes even small percentage improvements in enterprises will expand rapidly and create big value.
The Jagged Frontier Explains AI's Mood Swings
- Ludwig Siegeler frames progress as a 'jagged frontier' where AI is strong in some tasks and weak in others.
- This unevenness explains why generative AI often alternates between impressive and disappointing results.
