WorkAugust 9, 2026via Financial Times Technology
Could AI create a ‘permanent underclass’?
Why it matters
The workforce impact story: AI adoption risks creating structural inequality in labor markets, not just job displacement but a two-tier economy where some workers gain while others face permanent disadvantage.
Key signals
- FT analysis of AI-driven labor market bifurcation
- Risk of permanent underclass formation from AI adoption
- San Francisco tech industry narrative on labor impact
- Published August 2026 — forward-looking analysis
The hook
AI could bifurcate the labour market into a permanent underclass—and San Francisco's hyperbole might be onto something.
San Francisco’s language is hyperbolic — but the technology could bifurcate the labour market