Book · 2020 · Business & Economics
The Technology Trap
Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation
Why people recommend it
The Technology Trap by Carl Benedikt Frey is an economic history and analysis examining how technological advancements, automation, and industrial revolutions impact society and labor markets over time. Jasmine Sun discussed the publication on The Ezra Klein Show during an episode titled The A.I. Revolt Is Here, which was released on August 4, 2026. Presenting the volume as her second major recommendation, Sun explained that the core thesis of the book explores how public attitudes toward new technologies and automation are largely shaped by whether the economic growth and benefits resulting from those innovations are broadly shared among the population. Sun used the insights from the book to contextualize modern debates surrounding artificial intelligence and labor displacement, noting that historical precedent provides a crucial lens through which to view current technological anxieties. The recommendation served to ground contemporary fears about job loss in a deeper historical framework of past industrial transitions.
Who recommended it
- Jasmine Sun Recommended
Jasmine Sun — 1 mention
“My second book is The Technology Trap from Carl Benedikt Frey, which I think is very much about how people's attitudes towards technology and automation depend on to what extent the benefits, the economic growth, is shared”