How you're using AI at work

Summary

Summary of "How You're Using AI at Work" – The Indicator from Planet Money

Release Date: August 1, 2025

In the August 1, 2025 episode of The Indicator from Planet Money, hosted by Adrian Ma and Darren Woods, the discussion centers around the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. The episode delves into the latest job market trends and explores how AI is being integrated into various professions, highlighting both its positive impacts and the challenges it presents.

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1. Jobs Friday Overview

Adrian Ma and Darren Woods inaugurate the episode with a segment titled "Jobs Friday," where they analyze recent employment statistics:

• Unemployment Rate: Increased to 4.2% last month.
• Job Additions: The economy added 73,000 jobs, falling short of analysts' expectations.
• BLS Revision: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) made a significant downward revision to previous job numbers, reporting a quarter million fewer jobs than initially stated. Darren Woods remarks, “That downward revision wipes out most of the job gains reported in May and June” (00:48).

These figures suggest that the economy might be grappling with lingering effects from previous administrative policies, including tariffs and immigration measures.

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2. AI in the Workplace: Positive Uses

Transitioning from the broader job market, the hosts focus on listener-submitted stories about utilizing AI at work, showcasing a spectrum of applications from beneficial to concerning.

a. Automating Tasks and Increasing Efficiency

Listeners have shared how AI tools are streamlining their workflows:

• David Reshita from Fort Worth, Texas, uses AI to analyze multiple small companies weekly, enhancing his efficiency. Adrian Ma notes, “It does the work of being able to analyze dozens of small companies that we work with, and the fact that we can do that every single week is amazing” (02:53).

• Hannah Williams from Skinny Atlas, New York, leverages AI for research and writing tasks. Misha Arora emphasizes AI as a tool augmentation, stating, “I view it more as a tool rather than, you know, like my replacement, because I like to add my own, you know, my own twist, my own input on it as well” (03:08).

• Ricardo Scotta from Porto Alegre, Brazil, utilizes AI to navigate office politics by rephrasing emotional emails into calmer tones, thereby preventing potential conflicts. He shares, “I wrote a very emotional response before sending it. I asked ChatGPT to help me rephrase in a calmer and more professional tone to avoid making the situation worse” (03:17).

b. Enhancing Creativity and Customization in Education

One standout story is from Misha Arora, a high school economics teacher in New Delhi, India, who uses generative AI to create personalized learning materials:

• Creative Learning Materials: Misha generates quizzes tailored to individual student learning styles, such as graphical content for visual learners or podcasts for auditory learners. She explains, “I can prompt it in a way to create a quiz, which is for a particular student... I can use Google LM to create like a podcast of something and hand it out to another one... or use Suno app to just create like a song and ask the student to analyze that” (04:26–04:58).

• Interactive Lessons: She also engages students by having them create chatbots based on famous economists (e.g., a John Maynard Keynes bot) and analyze the AI-generated responses. Misha states, “The peer discussion that should not be taken away to get them to think is again the job of a teacher” (06:02).

This approach not only makes economics more engaging but also fosters critical thinking among students.

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3. AI in the Workplace: Negative Impacts

While AI brings numerous advantages, it also poses significant challenges, particularly concerning job displacement.

a. Potential Job Displacement in Software Engineering

Chris Grebben, a software engineer from Queensland, Australia, shares his mixed experience with AI in coding:

• Increased Productivity: Initially, AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude helped Chris write code more efficiently, allowing him to focus on architectural decisions. He mentions, “Things that would take my brain a lot longer. It was doing it really quickly, and then I would just check over it and copy, paste, copy, paste, do a few things” (07:01–07:07).

• Threat of Obsolescence: However, Chris recently realized that AI has advanced to the point where it can handle higher-level coding tasks, prompting concerns about the future of traditional software engineering roles. He reflects, “Reading the code, understanding to a deep level how everything connects, and then write the exact bit of code that needed to write to fit into that flow” (07:28). This realization leads him to believe that such roles may become obsolete within a year or two, urging current programmers to maximize their productivity while possible (08:01–08:22).

b. Concerns from Professionals

Chris's story underscores a broader anxiety among professionals about AI potentially replacing human roles, especially in fields that involve repetitive or codified tasks. While AI enhances current capabilities, it simultaneously threatens job security for roles that AI can replicate or improve upon.

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4. AI at Work: The Ghoulish Side

Not all AI applications yield positive outcomes. One particularly unsettling story comes from Kristen Tomkowid, a wedding and portrait photographer in the Hudson Valley of New York.

• AI Editing Mishap: Kristen attempted to use Photoshop's generative AI features to remove an unwanted bridesmaid from a wedding photo. Instead of seamlessly erasing the individual, the AI inserted a ghoul-like humanoid figure, reminiscent of the lady from the "Scream" painting. She recounts, “I tried, but then I got the weird ghoul people” (09:20–09:26).

• Outcome: The unintended result forced Kristen to abandon the AI-assisted edit, preserving the original photo but highlighting the limitations and unpredictability of current AI technologies in creative tasks.

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5. Conclusions: Balancing AI's Benefits and Challenges

The episode concludes by presenting a nuanced view of AI in the workplace:

• Benefits: AI enhances efficiency, creativity, and personalization in various professions, as seen in the stories of David, Hannah, Ricardo, and Misha. It serves as a powerful tool that can augment human capabilities and streamline workflows.

• Challenges: However, AI also introduces uncertainties, particularly regarding job security for roles susceptible to automation. The experiences of Chris and Kristen illustrate both the potential for job displacement and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on AI without thorough oversight.

• Call to Action: The hosts encourage listeners to share their own experiences with AI in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of understanding and navigating the evolving landscape of AI-driven work environments.

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Notable Quotes:

• Darren Woods on job numbers: “That downward revision wipes out most of the job gains reported in May and June” (00:48).

• Misha Arora on AI in education: “I view it more as a tool rather than... my replacement... my own twist, my own input” (03:08).

• Chris Grebben on AI's coding capabilities: “If AI can make design decisions on its own, can solve problems and write code, what exactly is left for Chris to do?” (07:39).

• Kristen Tomkowid on AI editing failure: “I tried, but then I got the weird ghoul people” (09:20).

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This episode of The Indicator from Planet Money provides a comprehensive exploration of AI's multifaceted role in today's workplaces, offering valuable insights into its potential to both empower and disrupt various professional fields.

Transcript

[NPR]

Npr.

[Adrian Ma]

This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Adrian Ma.

[Darren Woods]

And I'm Darren Woods. And it's Jobs Friday. It's that time each month where we check in on the latest jobs numbers and trends that are shaping the jobs market.

[Adrian Ma]

So first with the numbers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics latest report shows that the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2% last month, while the economy added just 73,000 jobs. That is less than analysts expected, though. The biggest surprise from this report is that the BLS made a big downward revision to its previously reported job numbers.

[Darren Woods]

That's right. The BLS now says the economy added about a quarter million fewer jobs than they had previously reported. That downward revision wipes out most of the job gains reported in May and June. And this relatively soft jobs report suggests the economy is feeling the effects from the Trump administration's tariffs and immigration policies.

[Adrian Ma]

Now zooming out from today's news, this Jobs Friday, we're focused on a trend that could also spell fewer jobs in the not too distant future. AI. We recently asked listeners, how are you using AI in your job? And after the break, we'll share some of those stories, stories which ranged from the good to the bad, to ghoulish.

[NPR Sponsor]

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[Adrian Ma]

Let's start with the good, the positive stories of AI at work, because you actually sent us a lot of them. Yeah.

[Darren Woods]

So a lot of listeners said they're using AI for tasks they used to do manually and it's helping them work more efficiently. Listener David Reshita from Fort Worth, Texas, was one of them.

[Adrian Ma]

It does the work of being able to analyze dozens of small companies that.

[Chris Grebben]

We work with, and the fact that we can do that every single week is amazing.

[Adrian Ma]

Then there's Hannah Williams from Skinny Atlas, New York. She says AI has been really useful in research and writing.

[Misha Arora]

I view it more as a tool rather Than, you know, like my replacement, because I like to add my own, you know, my own twist, my own input on it as well.

[Darren Woods]

And Ricardo Scotta from Porto Alegre, Brazil, has found AI helpful in navigating office politics. A little while ago, I went through a stressful situation at work. I wrote a very emotional response before sending it. I asked ChatGPT to help me rephrase in a calmer and more professional tone to avoid making the situation worse. That sounds like a very helpful use of the technology.

[Adrian Ma]

Yeah. Who could not use this? So, you know, drafting more polite emails and blog posts and analyzing data. These are all positive stories we expected to hear about AI at work. But one story in particular stood out to us. It comes from a teacher in New Delhi, India named Misha Arora, and she teaches economics to high schoolers.

[Darren Woods]

Yes. Misha says she's using generative AI tools to do things she couldn't imagine doing just a couple of years ago.

[Misha Arora]

Now I feel powerful. I feel I can be creative rather.

[Adrian Ma]

Than being stuck teaching from the textbook. Misha says she can use AI to quickly create new learning materials to suit different students learning styles.

[Misha Arora]

So, for example, I can prompt it in a way to create a quiz, which is for a particular student. And there's a student who understands artistically. So I can now create graphics out of a topic and hand it out to the student. There are some students who understand it on the basis the audio skills. So I can use Google LM to create like a podcast of something and hand it out to another one just quietly.

[Darren Woods]

There is an economics podcast that we.

[Adrian Ma]

Could recommend you that's already made.

[Misha Arora]

Then there's another student who'd like maybe a song on it. So I can use Suno app to just create like a song and ask the student to analyze that.

[Darren Woods]

And these examples are not mere hypotheticals. For instance, Misha recently prompted an AI to create a song about monopolies without using the word monopoly. Then she played it for the students and had them guess what it was about. With whispers and lies, they manipulate the market, leaving behind the dreams of the hopeful and the startups. Very soulful.

[Adrian Ma]

For a computer, I guess. Yeah, I mean, maybe this is not going to be the song of summer, but, you know, Misha says it takes a potentially dry econ lecture and makes it a little more fun.

[Darren Woods]

I respect that. And for another lesson plan, she told each of her students to use an app called Character AI to create a chatbot based on a famous economist and then have a conversation with it.

[Adrian Ma]

Right. So they could ask John Maynard Keynes bot to explain the 2008 financial crisis.

[Darren Woods]

Yes. And Misha then had the students analyze the responses they got from their econ chatbots and discuss them in class.

[Misha Arora]

The peer discussion that should not be taken away to get them to think is again the job of a teacher. And you have to know when to bring in AI and what it should not be replacing.

[Adrian Ma]

So those were the good parts about AI at work. Now for the bad. This story comes from Chris Grebben.

[Chris Grebben]

I'm a software engineer. I started a company, Bordcave, and I'm from Queensland, Australia.

[Darren Woods]

Chris's company, BoredCave, is an online marketplace for what else on the coast of Australia? Surf gear. And Chris, as a software engineer, says his job basically has two parts. One part requires him to think like a digital architect, to make decisions about the best way to structure a website or a piece of software. That's the part he likes.

[Adrian Ma]

The other part of the job is basically writing lines and lines and lines of code. And this, Chris says, is the boring part of the job. But now with apps like ChatGPT and Claude, he says they can do a lot of that coding work for him.

[Chris Grebben]

Things that would take my brain a lot longer. It was doing it really quickly, and then I would just check over it and copy, paste, copy, paste, do a few things.

[Darren Woods]

Chris says he's a lot more productive nowadays, which is great. But then a month or so ago, he had a slightly disturbing realization. AI programs he uses to help him write code have gotten to the point where they can exercise the sort of higher level thinking he thought was his domain.

[Chris Grebben]

Reading the code, understanding to a deep level how everything connects, and then write the exact bit of code that needed to write to fit into that flow.

[Adrian Ma]

If AI can make design decisions on its own, can solve problems and write code, what exactly is left for Chris to do? This is why Chris says it feels like just a matter of time before traditional software engineering jobs like his become obsolete. Although he says until that day, it feels like there is a window of opportunity for people like himself.

[Chris Grebben]

And so right now, if you are a programmer or developer, there's an opportunity for you to use your skills to be 10, 20, 30 times more effective.

[Darren Woods]

But that window, he believes, won't stay open for that long, maybe a year or two. In the meantime, Chris says he's trying to make hay while the sun shines or surf while the waves are good.

[Adrian Ma]

So we've covered the good and the bad of AI at work. Now for a story about the ugly. And this one comes to us From Kristin Tomkowid.

[NPR]

I'm a wedding and portrait photographer based in the Hudson Valley of New York.

[Darren Woods]

As a photographer, she uses Photoshop to edit her photos. And a couple of years ago, the company that makes Photoshop, Adobe started adding new generative AI abilities to the software.

[NPR]

So the AI features are something you turn on as you need them.

[Adrian Ma]

And these tools allow Kristen to, for example, select a stray exit sign or somebody in the background of a photo and really easily remove them. Kristen says it's a pretty cool feature, though. As she told our producer Ella, it doesn't always work the way she wants it to.

[NPR]

The one instance that I can really think of where it did turn weird was I had a bride that had a bridesmaid that she didn't really want in the wedding party, and she wanted her out of the photo.

[Misha Arora]

So that's crazy.

[NPR]

Wow.

[Misha Arora]

And did you use AI to edit her out?

[NPR]

I tried, but then I got the weird ghoul people.

[Darren Woods]

The weird ghoul people. I think anybody who's seen AI photos knows roughly what we're talking about here.

[Adrian Ma]

Yeah. Instead of disappearing the offending bridesmaid, Photoshop inserted a new scary humanoid figure that kind of looks like the lady from the Scream painting. So in the end, Kristen just left the photo as it was.

[Darren Woods]

Okay, well, I guess Kristen's job won't be replaced by AI just yet.

[Adrian Ma]

There you go. The good, the bad, and the ghoulish of AI at work. If you're interested in hearing more of these stories, check out Planet Money's newsletter. And if you've got a story about the good, the bad, or the ugly of AI, hit us [e-mail] Foreign this episode was produced by Corey Bridges and Ella Feldman. It was engineered by Neil Rauch, Fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Cake and Cannon is our editor and the indicators production of NPR.

[NPR Sponsor]

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[Misha Arora]

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