LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor

3 July 2026 · 41m

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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Show notes

When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled jobs and flood us with inferior products at a fraction of the price: is history going to repeat itself? FT journalist and author of We Are Not Machines Sarah O'Connor joins Tim to discuss her findings from the front lines about the future of work. Which professions are most at risk, and is there anything workers can do about it?

See the show notes at TimHarford.com

Sarah's book, "We Are Not Machines: The Fight for the Future of Work", is available here (UK) and for pre-order here (US).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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