In his new book, AI expert Hatim Rahman argues that algorithms have created a new labor market paradigm for workers.
The rise of high-speed internet in the early 2000s transformed the global labor market for high-skilled labor. As email, instant messaging, and voice over internet calling (e.g., Skype) became accessible to more people, geographic distances posed fewer logistical restrictions for the job search and recruitment process, particularly for US-based organizations looking to hire workers located overseas. In the early 2000s, for example, a computer scientist in Singapore could more easily work remotely for US-based organizations because they could communicate on project requirements and necessary changes that arose during a project. Such communication, enabled by emerging technologies, is essential for complex, knowledge-intensive work.