A new Yale study finds that when AI automates tasks, it can — but doesn't necessarily — make the jobs of the people who used to perform them obsolete.
Instead, in some cases automation can free workers to focus on other tasks, boosting productivity or even increasing demand for more workers, according to Menaka Hampole of the Yale School of Management.
The finding, highlighted in Yale Today, addresses the question of whether AI will eliminate jobs or create new ones. According to the university's summary of the research, the answer is probably both.
In a separate Q&A, Miia Kivipelto, director of Yale's Center for Aging Well, discussed the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's disease. She said memory is "so central for how we communicate and who we are," which makes Alzheimer's and other types of dementia difficult for patients to talk about. Kivipelto addressed how that stigma affects patients and how their well-being can be improved.
Yale also announced the debut of "Beyond Blue," a new podcast, whose first episode features Dean Megan Ranney of the Yale School of Public Health discussing the value of treating firearm injury as a public health problem. The episode also covers aging, AI and the water we drink.
In a Q&A, Yale architect Alan Organschi explained the benefits of mass timber — a more sustainable, wood-based alternative to steel and concrete — which could help reduce the construction industry's carbon footprint. He discussed obstacles to its wider adoption and where Yale is already using it.
Yale also highlighted recent media appearances by its faculty, including neuroscientist Karim Ibrahim on going offline as an online trend, OB-GYN Hugh Taylor on improving diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, and Marc Brackett, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, on AI's impact on education and the workplace.