Fired alarm: AI hype versus labour-market history

Perhaps the AI “boomers” are right about a sweeping labour-market revolution. But a careful look at history shows just how unprecedented their bullish scenarios would be. Africa’s bounty of minerals has drawn tremendous recent interest; will the continent see the benefits this time around? And our World Cup profile series continues with a look at Japan’s squad. Guests and host: Callum Williams, senior economics writer John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: AI, labour market, economics, history Africa, critical minerals, investment, development World Cup, Japan Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Fired alarm: AI hype versus labour-market history is an episode from The Economist: The week ahead by The Economist.

This episode is 21:33 long.

This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

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