The AI Revolution Has Happened Before

About this episode

AI, economics, economic history, the Industrial Revolution, automation, jobs, innovation, and the future of work are at the heart of the inaugural episode of History of the Future. Jonathan Hofer and Caleb Petitt explore what history can teach us about AI, looking at past technological revolutions—from the Industrial Revolution to the internet—to explain why today's AI boom may be more familiar than it seems. They examine how technological change reshapes labor markets, why fears of job displacement often overlook the creation of new opportunities, and what the "Engels' pause" reveals about short-term disruption and long-term prosperity. Jonathan and Caleb also discuss AI data centers, infrastructure, AI regulation, productivity, lower-skilled workers, and the economic forces shaping the future of artificial intelligence. It's a timely, historically grounded look at one of the most important technological and economic transformations of our time. What You Will Learn: • Why AI data centers prove the private sector can still build ambitious infrastructure when government gets out of the way • How the Luddites weren't anti-technology purists but workers protecting livelihood