NYT Columnists Split on AI Job Losses as 40% of Americans Own No Stocks
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 1
NYT Columnists Split on AI Job Losses as 40% of Americans Own No Stocks
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 1
Summary
Bret Stephens and Frank Bruni sparred over whether AI will ultimately create more jobs than it destroys, with both accepting its potential to drive medical and scientific breakthroughs.
Bruni argued there is "no arithmetic" showing AI will avoid shrinking total employment and said displaced workers cannot simply pivot to creativity without income, raising universal basic income as a possible response.
Stephens countered that the best economic research so far does not show AI eliminating jobs even in early-adopting industries, arguing productivity gains typically lift revenue and support new hiring.
The exchange lands amid rising public hostility to AI, bipartisan backlash against data centers and fears ranging from mass job loss to existential risks from systems going rogue.