LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor

LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor

July 3, 2026 · 42 min · Season 7 · Episode 27

About this episode

Tim Harford discusses the implications of AI and automation on skilled jobs with journalist Sarah O'Connor.

When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled jobs and flood us with inferior products at a fraction of the price: is history going to repeat itself? FT journalist and author of We Are Not Machines Sarah O'Connor joins Tim to discuss her findings from the front lines about the future of work. Which professions are most at risk, and is there anything workers can do about it?   See the show notes at TimHarford.com Sarah's book, "We Are Not Machines: The Fight for the Future of Work", is available here (UK) and for pre-order here (US).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Tim Harford

Guest: Sarah O'Connor

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pushkin Industries, FT

Books & works: We Are Not Machines: The Fight for the Future of Work

More episodes of Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford podcast page.