If AI Gets Hired, America Can Handle It
From Optimist Economy by Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
March 17, 2026 · 51 min · Season 2 · Episode 8
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of AI on jobs and the need for a new approach to unemployment insurance.
Switchboard operators. Typists. Secretaries. Lots of factory workers. The economy has a long history of technology slowly eliminating not just jobs but entire occupations. The U.S. also has a long history of not doing a lot to help those thrown out of work by major economic shifts. Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, who literally wrote her dissertation on unemployment insurance (her professional assessment: "it sucks"), makes the case for a wholesale rebuild that triages joblessness, distinguishing between those who need time to job hunt and those who need to pivot to a new career. Donate to keep Optimist Economy going: https://optimisteconomy.com Video clips are on the Optimist Economy YouTube channel . Consume leisure with us on Instagram at @optimist_economy or TikTok at @optimist_economy . Or meet other Optimists on our Substack chat . Feel like dis-saving? Our merch: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy Send your economic questions, concerns, or executive orders to optimist.economy@gmail.com
People in this episode
Host: Robin Rauzi
Guest: Kathryn Anne Edwards
Topics covered
- AI
- job displacement
- unemployment insurance
- economic shifts
- career transition
Keywords
- AI
- job loss
- unemployment
- economic policy
- career change
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Optimist Economy
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