The War on Normal People
So what will be the implications of this for humans? One thing that is already happening is job automation. According to research by Frey and Osborne at Oxford which assesses 702 occupations and their probability of being computerised in the coming decades, 47% of all American jobs are at risk. Historian and futurist Harari puts it well: ‘the ninet
... See moreWaqas Ahmed • The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility
But just as we see with the most successful entrepreneurs, the state could regain its effectiveness by sealing an alliance with the most potent party of the day, the multitude. Building this alliance starts by providing the multitude with what they want: fairness and quality at scale. And the problem is that instead of improving, the quality of pub
... See moreNicolas Colin • Hedge: A Greater Safety Net for the Entrepreneurial Age
I outlined three enormous challenges for the Digital Age: rising inequality, massive environmental degradation, and the risks arising from major geopolitical change. These daunting challenges could overload our political institutions and provoke a devastating conflict. Such has been the pattern of the past. Surely the prime task of our age is to re
... See moreJeffrey D. Sachs • The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions
The story of Preston brings to mind an idea that could play a big role in fostering an ‘economics of imagination’. A lot of ink has been spilled in recent years about Universal Basic Income. It’s an excellent idea in many ways, and would help create conditions for both personal and collective imagination to thrive, in particular with a reduction of
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