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Finding Meaning (and Money) in the AI Age

June 18, 2026 · 48 min

Show notes

Betsey Stevenson is a labor economist at the University of Michigan, and she was an economic adviser to President Obama. Betsey’s problem is this: How can we create a world where the benefits of AI are broadly shared?

Betsey draws on history – including how the invention of household appliances created a crisis of meaning for American women – to understand how we should respond to the challenge of AI. And she suggests policies to help spread the wealth AI could bring.

In this episode, Betsey explains: 

  • How Engels’ Pause serves as a warning for workers
  • How 20th century women adapted to automation
  • How AI has changed life for college students
  • The argument for taxing AI firms and distributing the proceeds to the public

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