The Future of the Professions by Richard Susskind & Daniel Susskind Summary
Overview of The Future of the Professions
In "The Future of the Professions," the Susskinds reveal how AI will revolutionize law, medicine, and education. Bill Gates cited it when discussing automation's impact, while COVID-19 accelerated its predictions. Could your profession be obsolete sooner than you think?
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Key takeaways
The Professionals' Last Stand: Why Your Expertise May Soon Be Obsolete
When Harvard University took 377 years to educate its first 400,000 students, no one imagined its online courses would attract that many learners in a single year. WebMD now receives more monthly visits than all American doctors see patients combined. eBay's online dispute resolution system handles 60 million disagreements annually-three times more than the entire US court system. These aren't isolated anomalies but early indicators of a fundamental transformation reshaping our professional landscape. The traditional gatekeepers of specialized knowledge-doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, clergy, consultants, and teachers-are facing unprecedented disruption as increasingly capable machines, working either independently or with non-specialists, take on tasks historically reserved for highly trained professionals. For centuries, we've maintained what Richard and Daniel Susskind call a "grand bargain" with the professions: we grant them exclusive rights to practice in specific domains in exchange for their expertise in matters of great human importance. But this bargain is failing us in multiple ways. Most people simply cannot afford first-rate professional services (with legal fees often exceeding $500 per hour), while professional work remains trapped in antiquated knowledge-sharing techniques. The problem isn't a scarcity of expertise but of experts themselves-we've created a "Rolls-Royce service for the well-heeled minority, while everyone else is walking."
When Algorithms Outperform Human Experts
From Bespoke Craftsmanship to Technological Systems
Why Knowledge Is Different in the Digital Age
Seven Models Reshaping Professional Services
The Moral Imperative of Democratizing Expertise
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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