Messy Jobs

Luis Garicano on Spain, Europe, and the Future of Work

Conversations with Tyler, 30 September 2026. The author is the guest. The book comes up at 49 sec in.

Tyler Cowen introduces Messy Jobs, co-authored by guest Luis Garicano together with Jim Lee and Yan, as 'the best book on AI and the job market.' Later Tyler characterises its central argument—that AI will not cause mass unemployment because jobs will become messier and harder for AI to perform—and Luis confirms it. Their ensuing dialogue touches on workers who prefer simple, repetitive tasks and may find increasingly relational work stressful.

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