NB59 – AI & Workforce Displacement with Brent Orrell
The American Enterprise Institute Author of “Deskilling the Knowledge Economy” joins the No Brainer Podcast.
Disclaimer: Portions of this episode experienced audio challenges and are of varying quality. Unintelligible sections were edited out.
In this episode of No Brainer, Geoff Livingston and Greg Verdino discuss the impact of AI on workforce displacement with special guest Brent Orrell, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. They explore the challenges and opportunities posed by AI, how it affects different sectors, and the need for policy planning to support displaced workers.
Brent, Greg and Geoff weigh the validity of news-generating outlier statements about dramatic AI workforce impacts. Then they discuss Brent’s upcoming paper, which will be released this week, on AI impacts to the larger workforce called, “Deskilling the Knowledge Economy,” including potential policy recommendations. Finally, the three conclude with a conversation about the challenges facing the AI market.
The “Deskilling the Knowledge Economy” paper, along with Brent’s other writing on work, AI, and other topics, can be found at his profile page on AEI.org.
Chapters
02:15 AI and Workforce Impacts
05:57 Upskilling and Personal Responsibility
08:49 Future of Jobs and AI
12:40 Policy and Economic Implications
22:42 Challenges in AI Adoption
About Brent
Brent on AEI.org – https://www.aei.org/profile/brent-orrell/
Brent on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-orrell-b503617/
Brent’s “Deskilling the Knowledge Economy” paper – https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/de-skilling-the-knowledge-economy/
Brent Orrell is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), specializing in job training and workforce development with a special focus on disconnected and disadvantaged populations, including youth, justice-involved, veterans, and neurodivergent persons. His recent work has focused on the workforce opportunities and challenges resulting from generative AI and automation, as well as strategies for improving economic mobility in rural, redeveloping, and non-metropolitan areas throughout America. Brent has spearheaded AEI’s involvement with the Workforce Futures Initiative, in collaboration with the Brookings Institution and the Harvard Kennedy School, which has produced multiple reports, working group sessions, and interest from communities across the US.
He has written, coauthored, and edited multiple reports for AEI, and frequently contributes to the popular press, including The Bulwark, Deseret News, The Dispatch, Law and Liberty, The Hill and RealClearPolicy.
About AEI
The American Enterprise Institute is a public policy think tank dedicated to defending human dignity, expanding human potential, and building a freer and safer world. The work of their scholars and staff advances ideas rooted in the belief in democracy, free enterprise, American strength and global leadership, solidarity with those at the periphery of our society, and a pluralistic, entrepreneurial culture.