S6 E3: Automation, Kim Jong Un & Jared Kushner: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Trump's Setbacks and Cohen's Testimony

• President Trump had a series of setbacks, including a summit with Kim Jong-un where he failed to get an agreement, and the Congressional testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who gave a glimpse into what Trump was like as a boss (43s).
• Michael Cohen testified that Trump asked him to threaten an individual or entity on his behalf "quite a few times," with Cohen estimating it was over 500 times (1m8s).
• During the hearing, Cohen described several possible crimes by his former boss, including suborning perjury and campaign finance violations, but Republicans primarily used their time to attack Cohen's credibility (1m39s).
• Cohen called Trump a "cheat" and referred to himself as a "fool" during the hearing (1m53s).

Kushner's Security Clearance and Middle East Deal

• Jared Kushner, referred to as "diminutive nothing boy," has been trying to broker a peace deal in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but his efforts were complicated by a new revelation that President Trump ordered his then-White House chief of staff John Kelly to give Kushner a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from Kelly and others (2m24s).
• The New York Times reported that both Kelly and Don McGahn, the White House Council at the time, wrote memos raising concerns about the order, but Trump overruled them (3m21s).
• The issue with Kushner having access to state secrets is not only his character but also concerns about national security, with reports suggesting that officials from countries including China, Israel, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates may have been trying to influence Kushner (4m8s).
• Emirates viewed Jared Kushner as someone who could be manipulated, but this perception may be incorrect as Kushner's ability to navigate complex situations is questionable (4m28s).
• Kushner initially failed to disclose meetings with Russian agents to the FBI, raising concerns about his dealings with foreign businessmen and officials, which are reasons not to grant him security clearance (5m18s).
• Kushner's complexion and well-rested appearance are unusual, given his extensive workload, which includes brokering peace in the Middle East, tackling the opioid crisis, and heading the Office of American Innovation (5m31s).
• In contrast to Kushner, former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Henry Kissinger showed visible signs of stress due to the gravity and complexity of their workloads (6m28s).
• The Trump Administration has repeatedly denied that Jared Kushner received special treatment for his security clearance, with both Trump and Ivanka stating that the president was not involved in the process (7m8s).
• Ivanka's response to questions about her and Kushner's security clearance has raised concerns, as she either knowingly lied about her father's involvement or genuinely believes they received clearance on merit (7m26s).
• Ivanka's career and achievements, including becoming Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization and hosting the Miss Teen USA pageant, can be attributed to her father's influence rather than her own abilities (7m57s).

Burglaries and CVS ATMs

• A news report by NBC4 Washington's Pat Collins covered five burglaries in six days, with the suspect using CVS stores as their own personal ATM, and the police are looking for the individual (9m7s).
• The report also mentioned that some of the stolen cell phones had been activated and were in use, indicating that the thieves seemed to know what they were doing (9m44s).

Jobs, Automation, and the Changing Workforce

• The main story of the night concerns jobs and how every kid is asked what they want to be when they grow up, with various career aspirations mentioned (10m3s).
• Donald Trump's presidential campaign focused on jobs, specifically who was stealing them, whether it's China, Japan, Mexico, or other countries (10m57s).
• However, Trump's primary focus on jobs being stolen by other countries ignores another major factor behind job loss, which is automation (12m55s).
• The impact of automation has been massive, with the manufacturing sector producing twice as much as it did in 1984, but with one-third fewer workers, indicating that many jobs are disappearing because machines are doing them (13m7s).
• Concerns have been raised that job loss due to automation could continue, thanks to advancements in AI and Robotics (13m20s).
• A study by Oxford University found that up to half of all jobs in the US are at risk to automation, suggesting that many people may lose their jobs due to robots, which is close to 50% of the workforce being completely eliminated (13m34s).
• The concept of automation is not new and has been transforming society since the Industrial Revolution, with the rise of mass production and the standardization of parts creating more mechanical slaves for humans (14m48s).
• Mechanical slaves, or machines, have had hugely beneficial effects, making goods cheaper, jobs easier, and sometimes safer, such as in the logging industry where machines can reduce the risk of injury or death (15m28s).
• A logging company owner is developing machines to fell trees, which would put his own son out of a job, but he believes it's necessary to ensure the safety of his employees, as logging has the highest death rate of any American occupation (15m42s).
• The big selling point for automation from an employer's point of view is that it increases productivity and maximizes profits, but for displaced workers, it has caused immense pain throughout history, such as in the 1990s when voice recognition technology improved and phone company operators were worried about losing their jobs (16m50s).

Automation and its Impact on Jobs

• Despite the benefits of automation, it's often presented as a scary new problem, but the truth is that everything about it is more complicated than people think, and it's not entirely scary nor entirely new (14m25s).
• A person initially thought that a new machine at their workplace would replace human operators and lead to job losses, which sparked rumors and concerns among colleagues (17m14s).
• The story of a security robot that drowned itself in a DC office building and a talking solar-powered robot that was found in pieces in Philadelphia after being attacked, highlights the human urge to see robots come to harm (18m16s).
• The creators of the attacked robot do not blame Philadelphia, but the city's history of violence, such as a chronic police horse punching problem, suggests that the attack was not unexpected (18m59s).
• Automation's impact on jobs is often distorted, and while some jobs may be at high risk of being automated, it does not necessarily mean job losses, as machines often replace tasks rather than entire jobs (19m41s).
• The example of ATMs, which were initially feared by bank tellers, shows that machines can change the nature of jobs rather than eliminating them, and that new technologies can create new opportunities (20m7s).
• A humorous anecdote about a man who was bitten by a Bank of America Versateller ATM and later died in a separate incident involving a claw machine, highlights the unpredictability of life and the importance of verifying facts (20m27s).
• Fears of job losses due to automation, such as ATMs replacing bank tellers, have been overblown, as automation often changes jobs rather than eliminating them, and bank teller employment actually increased over the next 30 years after ATMs were introduced (21m1s).
• When automation does lead to job loss in certain sectors, it also creates new jobs, as seen in the shift from agriculture to other industries over the past century (21m21s).
• In 1900, 40% of employment was in agriculture, but by 2000, only 2% of people worked in agriculture, and the other 38% of people were doing jobs that did not exist in 1900, such as search engine optimization and mobile device development (21m41s).
• The new jobs created by automation may not pay the same as the ones they replace, and it may not be easy for displaced workers to transition into them, as seen in the potential unemployment of 3.5 million truckers due to driverless technology (22m20s).
• The idea that all displaced workers, such as 55-year-old truck drivers, can easily transition into high-tech jobs is unrealistic, as many may not have the necessary education or skills (22m45s).
• The challenge is to harness the benefits of automation while minimizing the damage to those hurt by it, but this requires a nimble and forward-thinking approach, which is not currently being demonstrated by the US government (23m10s).
• The US government's approach to automation is exemplified by the Carrier deal, in which Trump convinced the CEO to keep a factory in the US with a massive tax break, but the details of the deal were unclear, and the government's approach to automation is not addressing the underlying issues (23m28s).
• The Trump administration's response to automation has been inadequate, with the President claiming to care about American workers but doing little to help those displaced by automation (25m12s).
• Proposals to address automation include funding retraining programs tailored to available jobs in a worker's area, as well as providing wage insurance or an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for older workers who may have to take lower-paying jobs (25m25s).
• Preparing younger workers for the job market is crucial, as the pace of technological change is rapid, and some experts suggest rethinking the basic conception of a career, with many people likely to have episodic careers (25m56s).
• This means that workers may need to be more flexible in their career plans and have multiple skills, as jobs may be partially automated or become obsolete due to factors like rising ocean temperatures (26m23s).
• Automation is not going to stop, and some people will lose their jobs, so it's essential to help those who do and prepare the next generation for the changing job market (26m47s).

Could Robots Do Your Job?

• Certain jobs, such as policeman, diner worker, fireman, and drummer, could potentially be done by robots, while others, like basketball players, may be more challenging for robots (27m27s).
• The idea of a single, lifelong career is becoming less relevant, and workers may need to adapt to new technologies and job requirements throughout their lives (26m5s).
• A Google search for "robot drummer" was conducted, and the search term was autocorrected to include the word "drummer" after initially typing "robot D" (28m4s).
• The job of the person speaking involves taking a big story, injecting it with nuance, and presenting the work to the audience at the end of the week (28m24s).
• The question of whether a robot could do the job was raised, and it was suggested that the job requires a series of non-routine tasks that involve social intelligence, complex critical thinking, and creative problem solving (28m49s).
• The person speaking repeated back the requirements for their job, which include non-routine tasks, social intelligence, complex critical thinking, and creative problem solving (29m0s).
• The person speaking seemed to be mimicking a British accent while repeating the requirements for their job (29m7s).
• The conversation concluded with the person speaking agreeing to the requirements for their job, but also expressing uncertainty about what it means (29m30s).