The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation

The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation by Carl Benedikt Frey

What is the impact of technology on society? The answer is tricky. In the short term, current occupations are destroyed. Those that spent much time developing skills find those skills irrelevant. The skilled artisans must fight for new positions once their past jobs are eliminated. In the long run, society is usually better off. People have access to more lower priced goods. Those who lost their livelihood eventually find new work (or leave the workforce.)  New career opportunities appear.

The book details many cases of technology change through history. The response has differed depending on implementation. Workers were not thrilled when skilled jobs were replaced by unskilled children. When workers have been able to benefit from increased technology they are happier with the changes. Social safety nets also increase the willingness of people to adopt the changes.

How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations

How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations by Carl Benedikt Frey 

The big theme of innovation is centralization vs decentralization. The two need to be balanced to drive innovation and progress. Decentralization helps innovation. However, too much decentralization leaves anarchy and little ability to spread the innovations. Centralization provides rules of law and helps support processes and carry out big project implementation. However, centralized organized are prone to keep with the status quo and have little room for innovation.

Big companies rarely innovate as much as small ones. Entrenched big firms benefit from regulation. They like to keep their position. Their location at the forefront of technology is usually short lived.

The discussion of progress is well researched though it is wordy.