Issues

Stop Deporting Essential Workers Who Keep America Running

"Creating a path to citizenship for all undocumented people — as proposed in President Joe Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 — would have the biggest impact, boosting gross domestic product by $1.7 trillion. This reform could fully fund the infrastructure bill.” — Giovanni Peri, Professor of Economics, University of California, Davis
Giovanni Peri
Source: The Seattle Times
June 22, 2021

The Supreme Court’s NCAA Ruling Has Huge Implications Outside of Sports

"The significance of the ruling goes far beyond the unique setting of college sports. The decision hints at a revival of antitrust law and its application to an area of the economy antitrust law has unjustly neglected — the labor market." — Eric Posner, Professor of Law, University of Chicago

 

Eric Posner
Source: The Washington Post
June 22, 2021

Don’t Let Employees Pick Their WFH Days

One concern is managing a hybrid team, where some people are at home and others are at the office. I hear endless anxiety about this generating an office in-group and a home out-group. — Nicholas Bloom, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

Nicholas Bloom
Source: Harvard Business Review
May 25, 2021

AI’s Future Doesn’t Have to Be Dystopian

The negative impacts of AI on human labor can far exceed the statistical job losses that are directly accountable to automation. — Kate Crawford, Professor of Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

Kate Crawford
Source: Boston Review
May 20, 2021

AI’s Future Doesn’t Have to Be Dystopian

When it comes to AI’s effect on the workforce, the real challenge is wages, not jobs. While employment has grown over the past forty years, real wages for Americans with a high school education or less have fallen. — Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Stanford University

 

Erik Brynjolfsson
Source: Boston Review
May 20, 2021

AI’s Future Doesn’t Have to Be Dystopian

AI can be used to increase human productivity, create jobs and shared prosperity, and protect and bolster democratic freedoms—but only if we modify our approach. — Daron Acemoglu, Professor of Economics, MIT

 

Daron Acemoglu
Source: Boston Review
May 20, 2021

Should Alexa Read Our Moods?

“Using the human body for discriminating among people is something that we should not do.” — Joseph Turow, Professor of Media Systems & Industries, University of Pennsylvania

Joseph Turow
Source: The New York Times
May 19, 2021

Shhhh, They’re Listening – Inside the Coming Voice-Profiling Revolution

“Consider, too, the discrimination that can take place if voice profilers follow some scientists’ claims that it is possible to use an individual’s vocalizations to tell the person’s height, weight, race, gender, and health.” — Joseph Turow, Professor of Media Systems, Annenberg School for Communication

Joseph Turow
Source: Fast Company
May 3, 2021

Sticking With Remote Work? Businesses Are Betting on It

“This is the surge in (work-from-home) which is leading firms to spend heavily on connectivity.” — Nicholas Bloom, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

Nicholas Bloom
Source: U.S. News & World Report
May 3, 2021

Remote work is a leveller — location doesn't matter. Only your internet does

So, people can end up working in silos, growing weaker at making new connections, which are actually very helpful in innovation. Unless we figure this out, there could be a long-run problem with innovation slipping.  — Nicholas Bloom, Professor of Economics, Stanford University
Nicholas Bloom
Source: The Economic Times
February 20, 2021