AI: The great equalizer or the great divider?

“The investment in the intangibles — the human capital — could well be ten times the investment in tech in order to make the best use of the tech in the first place.”

— Jan-Emmanuel De Neve

Kate Niederhoffer moderated a spirited debate between MIT's Andy McAfee, Oxford's Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, and Stanford's Jeff Hancock on why AI adoption stalls, where automation and augmentation diverge, and what organizations risk when they choose cost-cutting over imagination. The session drew on new economics research, workforce data, and a live audience poll that revealed more consensus — and more anxiety — than anyone expected.

SPEAKERS

Andrew McAfee
Principal Research Scientist, AI Thought Leader, and Bestselling Author, MIT

Jan Emmanuel De Neve, PhD
Professor of Economics & Behavioural Science and Director, Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford

Jeff Hancock, PhD
Director of the Stanford Social Media Lab and Professor, Stanford University

Kate Niederhoffer, PhD
Senior Vice President, Chief Scientist, Head of BetterUp Labs, BetterUp