Work is what structures adults' lives: it gives us purpose, focus, a set of responsibilities, and an identity. So when people are not participating in the labour market, all sorts of other things often start to go wrong.
David AutorRead
The fact that a task cannot be computerized does not imply that computerization has no effect on that task. On the contrary, tasks that cannot be substituted by computerization are generally complemented by it. This point is as fundamental as it is overlooked.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Computerization impacts tasks even if they cannot be fully automated, often enhancing them.
David Autor's quote emphasizes that while certain tasks may resist complete automation by computers, the introduction of technology can still significantly change and improve those tasks. This perspective highlights an important yet often ignored aspect of the relationship between human work and technology, suggesting that compatibility rather than outright replacement is a key dynamic.
Themes
ComputerizationTasksTechnologyAutomationEnhancement
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about the future of work, this quote could illustrate the importance of technology in complementing human efforts.
More from David Autor
All quotes →Our machines increasingly do our work for us. Why doesn't this make our labor redundant and our skills obsolete? Why are there still so many jobs?
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There's always new work to do. Adjusting to the rapid pace of technological change creates real challenges, seen most clearly in our polarized labor market and the threat that it poses to economic mobility. Rising to this challenge is not automatic. It's not costless. It's not easy. But it is feasible.
David AutorRead
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