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A World Without Work

Technology, Automation and How We Should Respond

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A World Without Work

By: Daniel Susskind
Narrated by: Daniel Susskind
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Brought to you by Penguin

'A path-breaking, thought-provoking and in-depth study of how new technology will transform the world of work' Gordon Brown

'Compelling ... Thought-provoking ... Should be required reading for any presidential candidate thinking about the economy of the future' NEW YORK TIMES

New technologies have always provoked panic about workers being replaced by machines. In the past, such fears have been misplaced, and many economists maintain that they remain so today. Yet in A World Without Work, Daniel Susskind shows why this time really is different. Advances in artificial intelligence mean that all kinds of jobs are increasingly at risk.

Susskind argues that machines no longer need to reason like us in order to outperform us. Increasingly, tasks that used to be beyond the capability of computers - from diagnosing illnesses to drafting legal contracts - are now within their reach. The threat of technological unemployment is real.

So how can we all thrive in a world with less work? Susskind reminds us that technological progress could bring about unprecedented prosperity, solving one of mankind's oldest problems: making sure that everyone has enough to live on. The challenge will be to distribute this prosperity fairly, constrain the burgeoning power of Big Tech, and provide meaning in a world where work is no longer the centre of our lives. In this visionary, pragmatic and ultimately hopeful book, Susskind shows us the way.

"This is the book to read on the future of work in the age of artificial intelligence. It is thoughtful and state-of-the-art on the economics of the issue, but its real strength is the way it goes beyond just the economics. A truly important contribution' Lawrence Summers, former Chief Economist of the World Bank

'A fascinating book about a vitally important topic. Elegant, original and compelling'Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist

© Daniel Susskind 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Computer Science Economics Engineering History & Culture Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Technology & Society Theory Technology Artificial Intelligence Robotics Capitalism Socialism Economic disparity Taxation Data Science Machine Learning Economic Inequality

Critic reviews

Compelling ... Thought-provoking ... Should be required reading for any presidential candidate thinking about the economy of the future.
An excellent and timely piece of analysis ... Susskind combines a mastery of global research with insight into how government works. A book of immense importance that demands to be taken very seriously by No. 10, and by anyone who cares about the future of our country and world.
A pathbreaking, thought-provoking, and in-depth study of how new technology will transform the world of work.
A fascinating book about a vitally important topic - and he writes with such elegance that you don't even notice how much you're learning. Elegant, original and compelling. (Tim Harford, author of 'Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy' and 'The Undercover Economist')
A superb and sophisticated contribution to the debate over work in the age of artificial intelligence. Susskind approaches the debate with a great command of the evidence and with excellent judgment. He takes on all of the major debates: whether new jobs will replace those that disappear, how the income distribution will be affected, and how individuals are likely to allocate their time in the future between work, leisure, study, and other activities. Never glib, consistently wise and well-informed, this is the book to read to understand how digital technologies and artificial intelligence in particular are reshaping the economy and labor market, and how we will live alongside increasingly smart machines. (Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Economics at Columbia University, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network)
Daniel Susskind has written an important book on an equally important topic: the future of work in an economy driven by the advances in artificial intelligence. His conclusion is that ultimately there will be less work, or at least less paid work. This will shake the foundations of our economy and our society. Our institutions will have to be transformed. It will be a daunting challenge. We have to start thinking hard about it now. (Martin Wolf)
This is the book to read on the future of work in the age of artificial intelligence. It is thoughtful and state-of-the-art on the economics of the issue, but its real strength is the way it goes beyond just the economics. A truly important contribution that deserves widespread consideration. (Lawrence Summers, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, Treasury Secretary for the Clinton Administration and Director of the National Economic Council for the Obama Administration)
All stars
Most relevant
Very thought provoking and also worrying. Clearly the author has thought through the subject matter in great depth and more people should be thinking about this subject

An absolute must read for politicians!

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The book looks at why work will be replaced by machines and how we should cope with this change in the 21st century. It will happen... talk to about it, especially to your political representatives!

A very important book

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The thought that provoked me most was that work gives a purpose to life. In my opinion, work is how we give our leisure and home life a purpose.

Overall, a very good listen.

Thought provoking

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I think that this is a very important book, that follows on naturally from the argument set out by Daniel and his father a few year ago, giving shape to a possible and likely future.

It’s the kind of book you will return to, containing both grand arguments and delightfully subtle nuance.

However, I feel that there is a further book needed that leaves the well made technological and economic arguments behind, and that focusses on the psychology of incentives.

In a world where self betterment is economically unnecessary, how to persuade those we need to work still, to deploy their unique talents, to endure the pain and hardship of skill development, when so many alternative routes of gentle easier fulfilment arise.

I’ve yet to meet a young engineer with a passion for Fourier analysis. Who would study it as an end in itself. Especially if the alternative is guitar or painting, or an afternoon’s student politics.

The answers offered seem to me to be almost Stalinist - that the state will treat you equally unless it decides that you dear comrade are selected to toil for the engine.

The central problem thus remains - in a world with little work, how do you prevent a dystopian outcome with an underclass and a privileged class of technocrats.

Very important book

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Didn't learn much new from this book. What was well-justified was not new to me, and what was novel was not well-justified.

The chapter on Big Tech was the most interesting, but also seemed off-topic for the book - an entertaining digression, in other words.

Not much new here

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