Top Links 1251 The suffocating AI blob. China shock 2.0. Propping up the rupee and Chris Wickham RIP.

Researchers have found that AI may not be the great equalizer for younger workers as previously thought. A study with patent lawyers showed that AI improved draft quality across the board, but when the tool was removed, only experienced lawyers demonstrated an average improvement in independent judgment. The study's lead author, David Autor, suggests that AI may be a "performance equalizer" but a "skill-disequalizer", as only those with existing foundational mental models were able to improve their underlying skill sets.

The study sorted lawyers by experience, with "senior" meaning seven or more years in practice. According to Fortune, the findings have implications for early-career workers. Autor is also known for his research on the "China shock", which showed that Chinese import competition had a lasting impact on American manufacturing communities.

David Autor is head of MIT's economics department and a Google Technology and Society Visiting Fellow.

Brief written by urgent.news from Chartbook, Fortune — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.