Computers and Populism

Abstract

I project the near-term future of work to ask whether job losses induced by artificial intelligence will increase the appeal of populist politics. The paper first explains how computers and machine learning automate workplace tasks. Automated tasks help to both create and eliminate jobs and I show why job elimination centers in blue collar and clerical work – an impact similar to that of manufactured imports and offshored services. I sketch the near-term evolution of three technologies aimed at blue collar and clerical occupations: autonomous long-distance trucks, automated customer service responses and industrial robotics. I estimate that in the next five-to-seven years, the jobs lost to each of these technologies will be modest but visible. I then outline the structure of populist politics. Populist surges are rare but a populist candidate who pits “the people” (truck drivers, call center operators, factory operatives) against “the elite” (software developers, venture capitalists) will be mining many the U.S. regional and education fault lines that were part of the 2016 presidential election.