Women talkin' 'bout AI Beyond Work: Post-Labor Economics with David Shapiro
Aug 6, 2025
Join David Shapiro, a systems thinker and AI researcher, as he dives into Post-Labor Economics. He discusses how automation is reshaping job structures and challenges the myth that technology will always create new jobs. Explore the potential of Universal Basic Income as a safety net in a changing economy. Shapiro emphasizes the need for education that nurtures empathy and critical thinking. Plus, hear about the evolving social contract and what personal fulfillment may look like in a world where work isn’t central to identity.
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Personal Fear Sparked Deep AI Inquiry
- Jessica shares that fear of losing her consulting work drove her to study AI deeply.
- That curiosity turned anxiousness into analysis and eventual philosophical questions about meaning.
Technology Is Deflationary
- Technology drives deflation by lowering the cost of goods and services.
- Automation freed farm labor over centuries but did not automatically replace all lost jobs equally.
Empathy May Be Humanity's Last Economic Edge
- Shapiro frames human monetizable traits as strength, dexterity, cognition, and empathy.
- With strength and cognition automated, empathy-based roles may become the main human niche.
