A World Without Work: Technology, Automation and How We Should Respond - Softcover

Susskind, Daniel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141986808 ISBN 13: 9780141986807

Publisher: Penguin, 2020

Synopsis

SHORTLISTED FOR THE FT & McKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020
The Sunday Times Best Business Books of the Year 2020
The Times of London Best Business Books of the Year 2020
The Financial Times Best Books of the Year 2020
Fortune Magazine Best Business Book of the Year 2020
FiveBooks.com Best Non-Fiction of 2020
Inc.com Best New Business Books of 2020


'A path-breaking, thought-provoking and in-depth study of how new technology will transform the world of work' Gordon Brown

'Compelling... Should be required reading for any presidential candidate' New York Times

New technologies have always provoked panic about workers being replaced by machines. In the past, such fears have been misplaced, and many economists maintain that they remain so today. Yet in A World Without Work, Daniel Susskind shows why this time really is different. Advances in artificial intelligence mean that all kinds of tasks - from diagnosing illnesses to drafting contracts - are increasingly within the reach of computers. The threat of technological unemployment is real.

So how can we all thrive in a world with less work? Susskind reminds us that technological progress could bring about unprecedented prosperity, solving one of mankind's oldest problems: how to ensure everyone has enough to live on. The challenge will be to distribute this prosperity fairly, constrain the power of Big Tech, and provide meaning in a world where work is no longer the centre of our lives. In this visionary, pragmatic and ultimately hopeful book, Susskind shows us the way.

'Fascinating and tightly argued' Sunday Telegraph

'This is the book to read on the future of work in the age of artificial intelligence. It is thoughtful and state-of-the-art on the economics of the issue, but its real strength is the way it goes beyond just the economics' Lawrence Summers, former Chief Economist of the World Bank

'A fascinating book about a vitally important topic. Elegant, original and compelling' Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist

About this title

About the Author

Daniel Susskind is a Research Professor in Economics at King's College London and a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University. He is the author of A World without Work and co-author of the bestselling The Future of the Professions. Previously, he worked in various roles in the British Government - in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, in the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, and in the Cabinet Office.

From the Back Cover

New technologies have always provoked panic about workers being replaced by machines. In the past, such fears have been misplaced, and many economists maintain that they remain so today. Yet in A World Without Work, Daniel Susskind shows why this time really is different. Advances in artificial intelligence mean that all kinds of tasks - from diagnosing illnesses to drafting contracts - are increasingly within the reach of computers. The threat of technological unemployment is real.

So how can we all thrive in a world with less work? Susskind reminds us that technological progress could bring about unprecedented prosperity, solving one of mankind's oldest problems: how to ensure everyone has enough to live on. The challenge will be to distribute this prosperity fairly, constrain the power of Big Tech, and provide meaning in a world where work is no longer the centre of our lives. In this visionary, pragmatic and ultimately hopeful book, Susskind shows us the way.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0141986808
• ISBN 13: 9780141986807
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352