We are taught that higher productivity is the ultimate sign of economic health. But what happens when that productivity is no longer tied to human prosperity? In this episode of the AI Futures series, we pull back the curtain on The Productivity Illusion.

Based on the analysis by Jaffar Humayoon, we explore the dangerous decoupling of corporate output from societal well-being. We discuss:

• The Ghost in the Machine: How GDP and corporate earnings can skyrocket even as the "human" economy—wages, purchasing power, and job stability—hollows out.
• Efficiency vs. Value: Why doing things "faster and cheaper" with AI creates a surplus that the average worker can no longer afford to consume.
• The Measurement Trap: Why traditional economic metrics are ...