The Second Machine Age
Overview
MIT economists Brynjolfsson and McAfee make the case that AI and automation are creating a second industrial revolution — and explain who wins, who loses, and how society can adapt.
Full Description
Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee's 'The Second Machine Age' is required reading for anyone trying to understand the economic impact of AI and automation. Published in 2014 but remarkably prescient, the book argues that digital technology — particularly AI — is enabling an exponential leap in productive capacity, potentially replacing not just physical labour but cognitive work. The authors examine which jobs are most at risk, how income inequality will evolve, and what policy responses (from education reform to universal basic income) could help society navigate the transition.