Robert Seamans's guest appearances

Robert Seamans

The Academic Minute

Philosophy Un(phil)tered

Working Capital Conversations

Out Of The Blank

Luis Rodriguez

Nick Carter

Corey Peterson

Ron Williams

Phil Smith

Chris Adams

Keith Carter

Jessica Flanigan

James Madison

Andrew Parker

Walter Isaacson

Andrew Peters

Sanya Carley

Aaron Nelson

James Johnson

OwlTail

Robert Seamans is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business where he teaches courses in game theory and strategy. Professor Seamans’ research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions with each other, and also focuses on the economic consequences of AI, robotics and other advanced technologies.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/out-of-the-blank/support

Robert Seamans is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business where he teaches courses in game theory and strategy. Professor Seamans’ research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions with each other, and also focuses on the economic consequences of AI, robotics and other advanced technologies.--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/out-of-the-blank/support" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/out-of-the-blank/support</a>

#1140 - Robert Seamans

On New York University Week:  Will future artificial intelligence help or harm the human workforce? Robert Seamans, associate professor of management and organizations, weighs in. Robert Seamans (PhD, UC Berkeley) is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business where he teaches courses in game theory and strategy. Professor Seamans’ research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions with each other, and also focuses on the economic consequences of AI, robotics and other advanced technologies. His research has been published in leading academic journals and been cited in numerous outlets including The Atlantic, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others. In 2015, Professor Seamans was appointed as the Senior Economist for technology and innovation on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. The Impact of A.I. on the Human Workforce https://academicminute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/06-24-20-NYU-The-Impact-of-A.I.-on-the-Human-Workforce.mp3  Applications of artificial intelligence or “AI”—the use of computer software that relies on highly sophisticated, algorithmic techniques to find patterns in data and make predictions about the future—have grown in number and variety over the past decade. AI is now embedded in many products and services that businesses and consumers use in daily life, including for example internet search and road navigation. The rapid advances in AI have led some to worry that AI will dramatically alter the economy and that someday soon algorithms and robots will take human jobs. On the other hand, others are excited by the potential for AI to enhance human productivity through new products, services and other innovations. To date, however, there’s been no systematic study of the conditions under which AI substitutes or complements human work. In order to assess the impact of AI on the human workforce, we conducted a global survey of startup firms that are using AI to create new products and services. Our assumption was that these firms are the ones developing cutting-edge commercial AI applications, and therefore provide a window into what the future may hold. When we asked these startups about the benefits that their products provided to their commercial customers, they were much more likely to report that the benefits included enhancing human capabilities rather than reducing labor costs. The startups also reported that their products were likely to create new jobs in professional, managerial and back-office sales categories, and that jobs were likely to be eliminated for manual workers, clerical workers and front-office service categories. It is quite possible that AI might have different employment effects in the more distant future. However, the results of our survey suggest that the impact of AI on the workforce will be heterogeneous, enhancing human work in some cases and substituting for humans in others.

On <a href="http://nyu.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York University</a> Week:  Will future artificial intelligence help or harm the human workforce? <a href="https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/robert-seamans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Seamans</a>, associate professor of management and organizations, weighs in. Robert Seamans (PhD, UC Berkeley) is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business where he teaches courses in game theory and strategy. Professor Seamans’ research focuses on how firms use technology in their strategic interactions with each other, and also focuses on the economic consequences of AI, robotics and other advanced technologies. His research has been published in leading academic journals and been cited in numerous outlets including The Atlantic, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and others. In 2015, Professor Seamans was appointed as the Senior Economist for technology and innovation on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. <h2>The Impact of A.I. on the Human Workforce</h2> <a href="https://academicminute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/06-24-20-NYU-The-Impact-of-A.I.-on-the-Human-Workforce.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://academicminute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/06-24-20-NYU-The-Impact-of-A.I.-on-the-Human-Workforce.mp3</a> <h2></h2> Applications of artificial intelligence or “AI”—the use of computer software that relies on highly sophisticated, algorithmic techniques to find patterns in data and make predictions about the future—have grown in number and variety over the past decade. AI is now embedded in many products and services that businesses and consumers use in daily life, including for example internet search and road navigation. The rapid advances in AI have led some to worry that AI will dramatically alter the economy and that someday soon algorithms and robots will take human jobs. On the other hand, others are excited by the potential for AI to enhance human productivity through new products, services and other innovations. To date, however, there’s been no systematic study of the conditions under which AI substitutes or complements human work. In order to assess the impact of AI on the human workforce, we conducted a global survey of startup firms that are using AI to create new products and services. Our assumption was that these firms are the ones developing cutting-edge commercial AI applications, and therefore provide a window into what the future may hold. When we asked these startups about the benefits that their products provided to their commercial customers, they were much more likely to report that the benefits included enhancing human capabilities rather than reducing labor costs. The startups also reported that their products were likely to create new jobs in professional, managerial and back-office sales categories, and that jobs were likely to be eliminated for manual workers, clerical workers and front-office service categories. It is quite possible that AI might have different employment effects in the more distant future. However, the results of our survey suggest that the impact of AI on the workforce will be heterogeneous, enhancing human work in some cases and substituting for humans in others.

Robert Seamans, New York University – The Impact of A.I. on the Human Workforce

If you thought the battle between machines and jobs – the dislocation of labor and society resulting from digitization or automation – has been one-sided so far, just wait. The next wave of attack is well underway, and it’s called AI.   Artificial Intelligence, most simply, refers to computers that perform tasks that normally require human intelligence – things like visual perception, speech recognition, even decision-making.  Earlier this year the management consulting firm McKinsey famously wrote that “25 percent of the global workforce will either need to find new professional activities by 2020 or significantly broaden their technological skills. The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report: 2018” states, “By 2022, the skills required to perform most jobs will have shifted significantly… [and] no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling.”  The greatest concerns are not just that AI destroys jobs, but that it increases inequality – that low-wage employees get displaced, while high-wage employees maintain or even extend their value that’s more difficult to replace with a machine.  Of course, new technologies have disrupted existing processes for centuries. Steam engines. Electricity. Microprocessors. Will the experience with AI be different than with previous technologies? Most importantly, what can governments, corporations, small businesses and individual workers do to not just avoid massive disruption, but rather position themselves to take outsized advantage of the opportunities?  To find out, I recently hosted an excellent roundtable discussion at Clayton, Dubilier &amp; Rice with NYU Professor Robert Seamans.  Prof. Seamans’ studies how technology and governance structures affect strategic interactions between firms, affect incentives to innovate, and ultimately shape market outcomes. Previously he served under President Obama as a Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He also co-authored an important review titled, simply, “AI and the Economy,” which explored the potential impact of AI on productivity and labor, and considered the various roles for regulation around antitrust, wages, data portability, and even immigration.

If you thought the battle between machines and jobs – the dislocation of labor and society resulting from digitization or automation – has been one-sided so far, just wait. The next wave of attack is well underway, and it’s called AI.  Artificial Intelligence, most simply, refers to computers that perform tasks that normally require human intelligence – things like visual perception, speech recognition, even decision-making. Earlier this year the management consulting firm McKinsey famously wrote that “25 percent of the global workforce will either need to find new professional activities by 2020 or significantly broaden their technological skills. The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report: 2018” states, “By 2022, the skills required to perform most jobs will have shifted significantly… [and] no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling.” The greatest concerns are not just that AI destroys jobs, but that it increases inequality – that low-wage employees get displaced, while high-wage employees maintain or even extend their value that’s more difficult to replace with a machine. Of course, new technologies have disrupted existing processes for centuries. Steam engines. Electricity. Microprocessors. Will the experience with AI be different than with previous technologies? Most importantly, what can governments, corporations, small businesses and individual workers do to not just avoid massive disruption, but rather position themselves to take outsized advantage of the opportunities? To find out, I recently hosted an excellent roundtable discussion at Clayton, Dubilier &amp; Rice with NYU Professor Robert Seamans. Prof. Seamans’ studies how technology and governance structures affect strategic interactions between firms, affect incentives to innovate, and ultimately shape market outcomes. Previously he served under President Obama as a Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He also co-authored an important review titled, simply, “AI and the Economy,” which explored the potential impact of AI on productivity and labor, and considered the various roles for regulation around antitrust, wages, data portability, and even immigration.

Robert Seamans: AI and the Economy