Working through it: the AI jobs boom dawns

<p>The labour data are in from America and a trend is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/09/04/the-jobs-apocalypse-is-postponed-an-ai-jobs-boom-is-here?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">becoming clearer</a>: on balance AI is starting to create more jobs than it hoovers up. Despite advancements of just about every other kind, China cannot seem to escape its <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/09/03/why-cant-a-tech-savvy-china-make-its-food-safe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">food-safety problems</a>. We ask why not. And why Kenya’s ants have become the target of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/08/26/why-smugglers-are-stealing-kenyas-ants?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smugglers</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Alex Domash, economics correspondent</li><li>Gabriel Crossley, China correspondent</li><li>Carla Subirana, news editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>AI, labour statistics, labour market</li><li>China, regulation, food safety</li><li>ants, smuggling, Kenya</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribe to The Economist</em></a><em>.</em></p>

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