How will machines change the future of work?

Obama Discusses Jobs And The Economy In Youngstown
A worker claps as he listens to President Barack Obama deliver a speech on jobs and the economy at the V&M Star Company May 18, 2010 in Youngstown, Ohio.
Jeff Swensen | Getty Images file

Derek Thompson suggests we may finally have reached the long-predicted tipping point where machines are capable of doing most of our work, effectively making work obsolete.

In his new Atlantic piece, Thompson suggests the end of work may actually be a good thing.

Thompson visited Youngstown, Ohio, a city made prosperous by steel mills in the 20th century:

Youngstown has become a national metaphor for the decline of labor, a place where the middle class of the 20th century has become a museum exhibit.

"Youngstown's story is America's story, because it shows that when jobs go away, the cultural cohesion of a place is destroyed," says John Russo, a professor of labor studies at Youngstown State University. "The cultural breakdown matters even more than the economic breakdown."

Thompson joined MPR News' Kerri Miller to talk about his piece.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.