Ep. 138 - The Work AI Can’t Do

Corporate boosters of artificial intelligence promise that the technology will vastly improve efficiency in the world of work. But is that actually desirable? 

On this episode, associate editor Regina Munch speaks with University of Virginia sociologist Allison Pugh, whose new book The Last Human Jobexplores the concept of what she calls “connective labor”—interpersonal work that relies on empathy, human contact, and mutual recognition. 

In fields like medicine, teaching, and even chaplaincy, such connective labor is increasingly performed by machines. Pugh challenges us to resist this trend, both by deprioritizing efficiency and by returning to authentic human relationships. 

For further reading: 

• Miles Doyle on efforts to regulate AI in congress
• A symposium on our posthuman future
• The editors call for a moratorium on AI development