Dept of the near future
⏳ “The past is prologue.” Rodney Brooks aims to clarify the origins of AI, and identify just how much more exciting work there is to do. Must read.
📐 Against metrics: has the obsession with metrics-driven the short-termism and productivity slowdown afflicting many Western economies?
💳 How did China leapfrog the rest of the world in payments? A clear case of necessity as the mother of invention. Great analysis.
💈 Emerging markets can’t quit Facebook. More than 550m people in those markets use it as a commerce platform. (About a third of e-commerce happens on the platform across multiple markets.)
💯 Should central banks issue cryptocurrencies? (Tl;dr “No”, but accessible and interesting argument.)
Dept of automation & the future of work
The OECD reckons that 50% of jobs are vulnerable to automation, although it varies significantly by country and sector. (Great summary from The Economist and the full paper here.) Key points:
At current employment rates, that puts 2…
