Is AI already shaking up labor market?
A study co-authored by economist David Deming examines how technology has changed the U.S. labor market over 100 years.Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Work & Economy Is AI already shaking up labor market? 4 trends point to major change, say researchers who studied century of tech disruptions Christy DeSmith Harvard Staff Writer February 14, 2025 6 min read A new paper by Harvard economists David Deming and Lawrence H. Summers offers early evidence of artificial intelligence shaking up the workforce. The study measures more than 100 years of “occupational churn” — or each profession’s share in the U.S. labor market — for a historical look at technological disruption. It revealed a stretch of stability between 1990 and 2017 that runs counter to popular narratives about robots stealing American jobs. But the research also uncovered a recent shift, with the authors identifying several trends driven, at least partly, by AI. “We really thought the paper would say something like, ‘See, I told...