On November 3, 2025, a new beacon of hope came to life at MIT—the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work. This center is focused on exploring the pressing questions of our times, including economic inequality, the impact of technology, and the health of democracy in this ever-changing world. Co-directed by MIT professors Daron Acemoglu, David Autor, and Simon Johnson, the goal of the Stone Center is to understand and address the forces causing a decline in job quality and economic opportunity, especially for those without a college degree.
During the center’s launch, the role of private business in driving wealth inequality became a prominent point of discussion. Princeton economist Owen Zidar painted a picture of America’s wealthiest, who are not CEOs of public companies, but are instead owners of private businesses—like car dealerships and construction firms—and hold massive economic and political influence. This powerful narrative was further bolstered by fellow Princeton professor Atif Mian who linked wealth concentration to broader macroeconomic issues, like the increase in government debt and drop in interest rates due to unproductively invested savings of the ultra-wealthy.
As the conversation about inequality evolved, so did the discussion around the future of democracy. Marc Dunkelman from Brown University argued that bureaucratic inefficiencies are pushing frustrated citizens toward populist movements. This sentiment was reinforced by Josh Cohen of Apple University and UC Berkeley who underlined the importance of economic security and shared prosperity to prevent people from turning to illiberal alternatives.
As the questions around economic inequality and democracy were being pondered, there was one keynote speech that stood out—U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss’ insightful address on the disruptive role of social media in public discourse. Representative Auchincloss also emphasized the Stone Center’s role in exploring if AI will eventually replace or amplify human labor, indicating a game-changing future.
Daron Acemoglu, co-director of the Stone Center, amplified this discussion, advocating for AI that is built to enhance human capabilities—what he referenced as “pro-worker AI”. Yet, this wouldn’t be a cakewalk as tech companies are with a myopic focus on developing artificial general intelligence, which might not align with human-centric goals. At the same time, Ethan Mollick of the Wharton school emphasized how AI labs are striving to replace human labor across sectors, regardless of the lack of clear strategies for their adoption within companies.
Despite all these challenges though, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Zana Buçinca from Microsoft shared research demonstrating that AI can foster better outcomes and collaboration when designed keeping workers’ values and cognitive needs in mind.
As the Stone Center sets out on its path, it’s clear that it has its work cut out—it offers an essential platform to rethink how our economy is structured, how our societies are governed, and how future technologies are shaped to ensure that they benefit everyone. You can catch up on more details of the launch event here.
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