Episode

There’s Nothing Artificial About Job Loss

Podcast: Smerconish on CNN
Published: Nov 29, 2025
Duration seconds: 2610
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Summary

An exploration of the tangible economic impacts of AI automation and the viability of Universal Basic Income as a safety net. The discussion also covers urban crime prevention strategies and the political implications of leadership shifts in Ukraine.

Topics

Artificial Intelligence
Automation
Universal Basic Income
Public Safety
Community Policing
Ukraine War
Economic Displacement
Labor Market

Highlights

Main idea: AI is no longer a theoretical threat, with measurable job displacement already occurring in finance, healthcare, and logistics
Practical takeaway: Automation is increasingly targeting cognitive labor and middle management, not just manual tasks
Failure mode: Relying solely on income replacement like UBI may fail to address the psychological need for purpose and social stability
Policy debate: Effective urban safety requires community policing and addressing root causes rather than 'defunding' or over-reliance on the National Guard
Geopolitical tension: The resignation of Ukraine's top negotiator Andrei Yermak introduces uncertainty regarding future territorial negotiations

Chapters

1:00 The Reality of AI Job Displacement: Analysis of current data from MIT and Goldman Sachs regarding the scale of automation in the US labor market.
10:00 The Economic Future of Automation: A look at the long-term projections for displaced work hours and the potential for a shrinking local economy.
13:00 The End of Cognitive Labor?: Discussing whether the ability to automate nearly all cognitive jobs will fundamentally change the human-AI relationship.
16:00 Universal Basic Income as a Solution: Evaluating Andrew Yang's 'Freedom Dividend' and the challenges of funding and social purpose in a post-work era.
19:00 Urban Safety and Policing: Rahm Emanuel critiques 'defunding the police' and discusses effective community-based crime prevention.
32:00 Ukraine's Political Shakeup: Examining the impact of Andrei Yermak's resignation on Zelensky's administration and the war effort.
38:00 National Debt and Global Stability: A brief look at the implications of the $38 trillion US debt and the long-term cost of international conflicts.