In this episode, we dive deep into Robots (2023) - a sci-fi rom-com set in a near-future America where humans use robot doubles to scam love and wealth. But beneath the laughs and chaos, the movie reveals important questions about autonomy, machine learning, and the future of work.

What You'll Learn:

AI Concepts from the Big Screen

• How robot doubles in Robots reflect real-world machine learning (ML) models
• The line between instruction and autonomy in artificial agents
• Reinforcement learning and how AI learns from ''rewards'' - even problematic ones

Legal and Ethical Insights

• Job displacement through automation and the ethics of AI-enabled productivity
• Why ''human protectionism'' might be needed to preserve economic stability

Policy in Practice

• How countries like Nigeria, the US and Canada are (or aren't) preparing for AI's impact on employment
• State-level programs in the US supporting worker upskilling and training
• How legal frameworks like the Industrial Training Fund Act (Nigeria) and Quebec's 1% training law offer blueprints for the AI era

Real-World Examples

• How Spotify's recommendation engine likely introduced you to this podcast
• Why self-driving cars and robots rely on reinforcement learning
• Lessons from Daron Acemoglu on who really benefits from technology

Resources Mentioned

1% training law: Do you know yourobligations Canada - https://www.bdo.ca/insights/the-1-percent-training-law-in-quebec

Chapter 04 Basic Skill Training orRetraining Tax Credit Mississippi https://sos.ms.gov/ACProposed/00018881b.pdf

Employment equity Canada https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/individuals/employment-equity#:~:text=About%20the%20Employment%20Equity%20Act,-The%20Employment%20Equity&text=The%20Employment%20Equity%20Act%20requires,with%20disabilities%2C%20and%20racialized%20people.Employer Training Investment Program(ETIP) Illinois https://ima-net.org/etip/

Employment Training Panel California https://etp.ca.gov/

Explaining decisions made with AI https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bLYxQHUxs26bXLRyaVVQf4Zi6xCVFt-G/view?usp=drive_linkHow Recommendation Engines Work - https://thecondia.com/how-recommendation-engines-work/

Incumbent Worker Training Connecticut https://www.ewib.org/business-services-team/incumbent-worker-training/

Machine Learning for Dummies https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jAjakV2w0DyMSwfQ4Vy536G6HeLyXGfX/view?usp=drive_linkMaze patrolling by rats with and withoutfood reward https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03208022Medical Devices 2030: Making a power playto avoid the commodity trap https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J5ErXFFImsACPIhY5ssbFpJFc9kSHUfM/view?usp=drive_linkMicrosoft laying off about 6000 people, or3% of its workforce https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html

Next Level Jobs Indiana https://www.in.gov/dwd/nextleveljobs/home/

Ohio Tech Cred https://www.ohio.edu/lancaster/techcred

Power, progress, and technology (withDaron Acemoglu) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2mS1eyqiF772yGNijLB6DL?si=c4be5f454bb54cdc

Quantum Computing & ReinforcementLearning: Partners in Achieving Artificial General Intelligence https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iaLdEfOGdBthtSBjEI96Fbz963lWMpcC/view?usp=sharingRegulation 29 - Department of WorkforceServices – Training Trust Fund Program Arkansas https://dws.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/DWS-Training-Trust-Fund-Regulations.pdf

Reward is enough https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_UVbxnTUOG1lFM6TM7sUKpcl3qSdD1q/view?usp=drive_linkSummary of Part II of the Canada LabourCode https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/health-safety/reports/summary.html

UPSKILL: NJ Incumbent Worker TrainingGrant Program New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/labor/assets/PDFs/Grants/FY25/FY25%20UPSKILL%20NGO%208-13-2024.pdf

Next Episode Teaser

The Pod Generation (2023) - Artificial wombs, shared pregnancies, and the ethics of AI in reproductive health.