Attention Economy


Monday, March 7, 2011

Technology as the Master Disruptor

A fascinating article in the NYTIMES on the coming disruption in the labor market due to the increasing sophistication of machines/computer software: 
““The economic impact will be huge,” said Tom Mitchell, chairman of the machine learning department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. “We’re at the beginning of a 10-year period where we’re going to transition from computers that can’t understand language to a point where computers can understand quite a bit about language.”
Nowhere are these advances clearer than in the legal world.”

Update: Paul Krugman has an interesting op-ed related to the above story.


Besides the role of technology, another factor affecting the employability of college graduates may be the lowering of higher education standards and expectations. Bob Herbert of the NYTIMES makes an interesting point in this regard:
“Students are hitting the books less and partying more. Easier courses and easier majors have become more and more popular. Perhaps more now than ever, the point of the college experience is to have a good time and walk away with a valuable credential after putting in the least effort possible.”