An Unforgettable Evening on AI, Labor, and the Future of Work

I had the privilege of attending and engaging in a remarkable discussion at The Graduate Center, CUNY titled “AI and the Future of Work.”
The event brought together an extraordinary panel of scholars and public intellectuals, including Nobel Laureates Daron Acemoglu and Paul Krugman, alongside Danielle Li and Zeynep Tufekci, with Steven Greenhouse moderating.

It was truly inspiring to witness two Nobel laureates on the same stage, offering complementary yet distinct perspectives on how artificial intelligence is reshaping labor markets, productivity, and economic inequality.

During his talk, Professor Daron Acemoglu emphasized a critical insight:
while progress toward powerful AI and AGI systems has been rapid, the translation of these technologies into real-world production processes that meaningfully raise productivity remains surprisingly limited.
This gap, he argued, represents one of the most important challenges—and opportunities—for modern economies.

After the panel, I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Professor Acemoglu and exchanging thoughts on the discussion — a memorable moment with one of the most influential economists of our time.

Together, these experiences reinforced my commitment to studying how technological change interacts with labor markets, inequality, and intergenerational mobility.