'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'

Workers cross the street near the FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2025.

The 'richer east and west coast cities of the U.S. will be most exposed to the next big digital dislocation'

(Image credit: Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 3 April 2025

'Wealthy cities may be surprise losers from AI automation'

John Thornhill at the Financial Times

It could "well be that some of the beneficiaries of earlier waves of industrial automation, who have tended to be clustered in the richer east and west coast cities of the U.S., will be most exposed to the next big digital dislocation," says John Thornhill. This could have "social, economic and political ramifications, with more rich, urban centers hit than poorer, rural regions." The "biggest winners from the AI transformation" often "live in the most exposed metropolitan areas."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.