#141 – Erik Brynjolfsson: Economics of AI, Social Networks, and Technology

Erik Brynjolfsson is an economist at Stanford. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:

- Vincero: https://vincerowatches.com/lex to get up to 25% off + free shipping

- Four Sigmatic: https://foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off

- ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod to get 3 months free

- Cash App: https://cash.app/ and use code LexPodcast to get $10

EPISODE LINKS:

Erik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikbryn

Erik's Website: https://www.brynjolfsson.com/

The Second Machine Age (book): https://amzn.to/33f1Pk2

Machine, Platform, Crowd (book): https://amzn.to/3miJZ76

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8

RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/

YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman

YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

- Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast

- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexFridmanPage

- Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(08:23) - Exponential growth

(12:51) - Elon Musk exponential thinking

(15:08) - Moore's law is a series of revolutions

(20:31) - GPT-3

(22:09) - Autonomous vehicles

(29:11) - Electricity

(33:40) - Productivity

(38:47) - Why is Twitter and Facebook free?

(49:03) - Dismantling the nature of truth

(52:24) - Nutpicking and Cancel Culture

(58:39) - How will AI change our world

(1:04:40) - Existential threats

(1:06:33) - AI and the nature of work

(1:12:39) - Thoughts on Andrew Yang and UBI

(1:18:30) - Economics of innovation

(1:24:37) - Effect of COVID on the economy

(1:33:50) - MIT and Stanford

(1:38:23) - Book recommendations

(1:41:28) - Meaning of life