White Collar Workers Are the New Factory Workers

Jul 16

Your job used to require judgment, creativity—even coffee breaks. Now? You validate AI output, reject errors, and move digital widgets from column A to B. Welcome to the new white-collar factory floor.

This week, we’re joined by Emma Burleigh (Success Reporter at Fortune) to unpack what the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, meant when he said the future lies in high-paying factory work—and to ask whether AI is quietly turning knowledge workers into glorified quality control clerks. Is this really the career arc we signed up for?

Special Guest:

Emma Burleigh (Success Reporter at Fortune)

Article Referenced:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce says the ‘new model’ is factory jobs for life—for you, your kids, and your grandkids