Glasgow · The Admiral Woods
Hosted by Glasgow Skeptics
A critical talk in Glasgow on 20 October 2026 examining why mainstream economics struggles to explain AI’s effects on productivity, wages and jobs. Economists frequently predict that artificial intelligence will raise productivity, improve employment and make society richer, but those promises are not yet clearly reflected in productivity data, wages or general wellbeing. At this free evening talk from Glasgow Skeptics, Dr Elena Papagiannaki will examine the gap between confident economic forecasts and the more complicated reality of AI adoption. What the talk will explore Rather than accepting claims of an inevitable “AI revolution”, the session will ask whether mainstream economics has the right concepts and methods to understand what is happening. Topics and questions include: - Why trillion-dollar investment in AI is not clearly appearing in productivity figures - Whether current job losses are genuinely caused by AI, or simply being “AI-washed” - How technology changes work, wages, value and the distribution of economic gains - The blind spots behind polished graphs and confident predictions about automation - Whether we need new ways to explain progress, labour and intelligence itself The talk should appeal to people interested in AI and society, economics, work, critical thinking and political economy. Its focus is not on building AI systems; instead, it offers a sceptical examination of the narratives used to describe their economic and social impact. About the speaker Dr Elena Papagiannaki is a Lecturer in Economics at Edinburgh Napier University and a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Future of Work in London. Her research investigates class, AI and labour through a political economy lens, with particular attention to how technology reshapes work and value. She also brings this research to public audiences through her Edinburgh Fringe show. Format and practical details This is an in-person talk taking place from 7:30pm to 9:00pm BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at The Admiral Woods, 29 Waterloo Street, Glasgow. Attendance is free and no ticket is required, but entry is first come, first served. The organisers recommend arriving early if the function room looks busy.… Register for this event
