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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 32m

In which @stephenkb.bsky.social absolutely nails the way the Tories are performing a "never-ending lobotomy" on themselves by requiring everyone to believe (or at least pretend) Brexit was a good idea. www.ft.com/content/a65f...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

yeah. I mean, he's so obviously wrong IMO about the destruction of all jobs ("We already have self-healing pipes??) but still fascinating!

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

😱

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

totally! www.ft.com/content/43cd...

The AI arms race in hiring is a huge mess for everyone

Companies were using automated screening earlier, but applicants’ adoption of the tools is now causing problems

www.ft.com

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

Given all that, I wouldn't bet on AI leading to an era of 3-day week for all. Even if it does, the US is the last place I would expect to see it. Still: the dystopian outcome where the rich get richer and the masses are left to subsist on a basic income might also be good for video games companies.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

(South Korea is interesting because it industrialised later, so working hours have declined more steeply in this era. The Netherlands is interesting because it shows a different balance of work & leisure is possible: they are pretty much moving to a 4-day week by stealth www.ft.com/content/7b61...)

The Dutch are quietly shifting towards a four-day work week

The Netherlands serves as a case study for the advantages and trade-offs of reduced hours in the workplace

www.ft.com

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

On this third: the decline in working hours has slowed massively in most countries in recent decades, and in the US, has completely stopped since the 1970s (in spite of rising productivity since then). Americans don't even take all their (meagre) holiday allowances.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

First, that AI will lead to a step-change in productivity growth (jury's out - but no sign of it yet). Second, that this growth will be widely-distributed (this will depend massively on bargaining power.) Third, that workers will "cash in" the gains as leisure, rather than higher incomes.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

First of all, it's not crazy to think technological change can lead to shorter working hours. Indeed, for much of the past 200 years, that's exactly what we've seen in developed countries. BUT to believe we're going to have another big decline in the work week, you have to believe 3 things...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 3h

Investors are betting big bucks on the idea that AI will create an explosion of leisure time...e.g. it was a key part of the public rationale for the massive $55bn takeover of video games maker Electronic Arts. But are they right?? (short thread linked to my column today www.ft.com/content/4011...)

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 6d

cheers Hetan!

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 7d

Great piece from @emmavj.bsky.social who is calling Peak Vibe www.ft.com/content/14ef...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 8d

Or... an opportunity to develop colouring-in skills!

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 8d

Yes it is.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 8d

Those tall stools on that tiny raised platform are making me nervous... do you really want to be adding pints into the mix?

Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 8d

Ben Houchen, having a pint of Guinness at 10am, says former PM and close ally Boris Johnson did get immigration wrong.

"The mass increase in immigration we saw over the last 3/4 years - those chickens have come home to roost"

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 8d

I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 8d

The Brother HL-L2445DW Mono Laser is the King of Printers. (more here: www.ft.com/content/b48b...) However, it's not a tank printer and only does black-and-white, so it depends what you need it for.

Why do people keep buying printers they hate?

A puzzling tale of capitalism and consumer psychology at a time of technological change

www.ft.com

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 12d

No.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 12d

From my piece on what Jane Austen can teach us on taking feedback - Austen transcribed and compiled lists of people's opinions of her novels... basically she created her own online reader comment section.

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 12d

Even Jane Austen had to put up with Those Guys www.ft.com/content/bdcd...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 13d

I know there are the ICE raids etc, but this is pretty weird given everything we're hearing about the scale of the data centre construction boom, no?

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 13d

First decline in ADP construction payrolls since 2021.

(via Kev Gordon)

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 14d

I don't think I can find it now as it was way back in the days I wrote for Lex (so anonymously) but it was a flippant remark about fish!

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 20d

Brutal and enjoyable piece from @willdunn.bsky.social on Clegg's return from Silicon Valley with Views to Share on standing up to the US and how to save the internet (errr) www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 21d

Great piece by @georginaq.bsky.social on the cottage industry that's grown up around UK universities, which are paying agents to recruit international students for them www.ft.com/content/3f49...

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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 21d

A cool use of AI in newsgathering, this. US companies are talking more and more about the risks rather than the benefits of AI in their SEC filings (while still being super-optimistic in earnings calls). By @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news & @claradoodle.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/e93e...

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