Is AI the next great labor shock — and are we about to repeat the mistakes of NAFTA? Aaron Renn talks with Brent Orrell, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, about what AI is already doing to the workforce, why this time the disruption is hitting knowledge workers first, and why human formation may be the most valuable asset in an AI-infused world.

Brent Orrell studies the future of work and AI at AEI and previously served for years at the U.S. Department of Labor. He is launching a National Commission on AI and the Future of the American Workforce.

CHAPTERS:
(00:00 Introduction)
(00:55 Why AI Is the New NAFTA)
(04:30 A National Commission on AI and Work)
(07:30 The Labor Effects Already Happening)
(12:20 How "Learn to Code" Became a Trap)
(17:00 Adaptation: The Core Skill for the AI Era)
(24:00 Why Human Formation Matters More Than Ever)
(40:00 The Coming White-Collar Political Disruption)

BRENT ORELL LINKS:
🌐 Brent Orell's AEI Home Page and Articles: https://www.aei.org/profile/brent-orrell/

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