The Future of Work: Inequality, Artificial Intelligence, and What Can Be Done About It. A Literature Review

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence constitutes a new wave of automation. There is broad agreement among economists that humanity is potentially entering into a period of profound change. However, significant uncertainties and disagreements exist concerning a variety of overlapping topics: the share of jobs in which human labour is displaced and/or reinstated through automation; the effects on income inequality; the effects on job satisfaction; and, finally, what policy changes ought to be pursued to reduce potential negative impacts. This literature review seeks to clarify this landscape by mapping out key disagreements between positions, and to identify the critical elements upon which such disagreements rest. By surveying the current literature, the effects of AI on the future of work will be clarified.