We now behave similarly to how the gdr behaved in the 80s
26 October 2026 (Die Weltwoche). German philosopher Richard David Precht, in Paul Ronzheimer's podcast, compared Germany's reluctance to let AI replace unproductive public-sector jobs to East Germany's employment policy in the 1980s. Translated from German.
More from Richard David Precht · AI and politics · AI and jobs · 2026
Who else?
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- “Productivity gains are known to be a thing that precedes layoffs” Ethan Mollick, Researcher,
- “It's happening right now, and the employers are going to deny it” Michelle Gutierrez Vo,
- “AI keeps stubbornly refusing to take our jobs” Noah Smith,
- “Tasks that once required at least five people could be handled by just one” Liangyu Nie,










