MIT economist David Autor has warned that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to a grim future not marked by mass unemployment, but by a collapse in the value of many skills.
In an interview on the “Possible” podcast hosted by LinkedIn cofounder Reed Hoffman, Autor described a potential “Mad Max” scenario — a world where jobs remain, but the skills that once earned good wages become cheap and common.
“The more likely scenario to me looks much more like Mad Max: Fury Road, where everybody is competing over a few remaining resources,” Autor said, referencing the dystopian film series about scarcity and inequality.
Autor explained that rapid automation could flood the market with workers possessing once-valuable skills, reducing their worth. This contrasts with fears that AI will simply eliminate jobs.
For example, skills such as touch typing, factory technical work, and taxi driving have all been devalued or replaced by technology over recent years. While these jobs have not disappeared entirely, their pay and prestige have fallen.
Instead of widespread unemployment, Autor predicts many workers will move into lower-paid service jobs with minimal training, such as food service, cleaning, or security.
Automation, he said, can either help workers focus on their strengths by removing routine tasks or “descale” jobs by automating the expert parts and leaving workers with only the simplest tasks.
This concern is echoed by business studies. A May report by Salesforce predicted that 23% of workers will be redeployed in the next two years due to AI, with job roles evolving significantly.
Tech leaders now emphasize adaptability, creativity, and working alongside AI as critical skills for the future.
Autor stressed that society must actively shape AI’s role to support workers and reduce inequality. “The future is not a forecasting exercise — it’s a design exercise,” he said.
He highlighted healthcare and education as key areas where AI could be used to make meaningful improvements, calling these sectors “great opportunities” for beneficial AI deployment.
“We have the tools to do these things,” Autor added, “if we choose to deliver on what is feasible.”
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