Writers, designers, actors, coders, musicians, thinkers — they’re all worried about being replaced by machines. But what if the A.I.s are actually here to help? (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Sean Astin, actor, president of SAG-AFTRA.Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired.Ethan Mollick, associate professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.Eline Van der Velden, founder and C.E.O. of Particle6. RESOURCES:Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI, by Ethan Mollick (2026)."Apocalypse Now and Then," by Arundhati Roy (Equator, 2026)."Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Creativity and Diversity: An Empirical Study of Large Language Model-Generated Product Ideas," by Christian Terwiesch, Lennart Meincke, Karan Girotra, Ethan Mollick, Gideon Nave, and Karl Ulrich (Production and Operations Management, 2026)."Quiet, My Exoself," by Kevin Kelly (KK, 2026).Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With AI, by Ethan Mollick (2024)."The O-Ring Theory of Economic Development," by Michael Kremer (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1993). EXTRAS:"How to Poison the A.I. Machine," by Freakonomics Radio (2025)."The Curious, Brilliant, Vanishing Mr. Feynman," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."How to Think About A.I.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."103 Pieces of Advice That May or May Not Work," by Freakonomics Radio (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.) SOURCES:Brendan Ballou, C.E.O. of the Public Integrity Project.Dan Glickberg, venture-capital investor.Hannah Howard, food writer.Sachin Khajuria, investor. RESOURCES:Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou (2023).Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win, by Sachin Khajuria (2022)."Local Journalism under Private Equity Ownership," by Michael Ewens, Arpit Gupta, and Sabrina T. Howell (NBER Working Paper, 2022).“Owner Incentives and Performance in Healthcare: Private Equity Investment in Nursing Homes,” by Atul Gupta, Sabrina T. Howell, Constantine Yannelis, and Abhinav Gupta (NBER Working Paper, 2021).“Leveraged Buyouts and Financial Distress,” by Brian Ayash and Mahdi Rastad (Finance Research Letters, 2021). EXTRAS:"Is This What a 'Good Billionaire' Looks Like?" by Freakonomics Radio (2026)."Is the Public Ready for Private Equity?" by Freakonomics Radio (2025)."Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Rubenstein, a product of the old bipartisan D.C., made his fortune in private equity. He’s been spending it on “patriotic philanthropy” and institutions like the Kennedy Center, where Trump fired him as chairman. Now he wonders if the center can hold. SOURCES:David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles. RESOURCES:Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports, by David M. Rubenstein (2026).The American Experiment: Dialogues on a Dream, by David M. Rubenstein (2021).The American Story: Conversations With Master Historians, by David M. Rubenstein (2019).Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (2003). EXTRAS:"The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted," by Freakonomics Radio (2025)."The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018)."Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview," by Freakonomics Radio (2018)."The Longest Long Shot," by Freakonomics Radio (2016). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.