TWO YEARS ago, when Elinor Lobel was 16, a "smart" insulin pump was attached to her body. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), it tracks her glucose levels and administers the right dose of insulin at the right time to keep her healthy. It is a miraculous innovation for diabetes sufferers and just one of myriad new ways that data and ai can help improve lives. Your browser does not support the audio element. Books that decry the dark side of data abound.

Orly Lobel believes technology can make the world a better place--and she knows in 2022, that makes her a bit of a contrarian. Lobel, a law professor specializing in labor and employment at the University of San Diego in California, has studied how technology and the gig economy affects workers. That has made her familiar with the potential disruptions caused by tools like automated résumé screening and apps that use algorithms to assign work to people. Yet Lobel feels discussion about automation and AI is too stuck on the harms these systems create. In her book The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future, Lobel encourages a sunnier view.