- Economics
- US Labor Market
- Artificial Intelligence
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are deaf or hard of hearing, which can impair job performance. Can AI tools help? Steve speaks to two researchers who study the effects of a new AI tool on the productivity and wages of hearing-impaired workers in the food delivery business. They also discuss how the profit motive drove the adoption and diffusion of the new AI tool, raising the wages and earnings of hearing-impaired workers.
Recorded on June 22, 2026.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Yanyou Chen is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto. He earned a BA in Economics and Mathematics at the University of Hong Kong and a PhD in Economics at Duke University. He studies productivity in network structures and labor markets, drawing on tools from industrial organization. Follow Yanyou Chen: Personal Website and LinkedIn
Mitchell Hoffman is the Richard F. Aster, Jr. Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He’s the director of the NBER Working Group on Personnel Economics and an editor at the Journal of Labor Economics. His research focuses on worker hiring and the determinants of labor productivity, drawing on insights from labor and organizational economics. Follow Mitchell Hoffman: Personal Website.
RELATED SOURCE
- Empowering Inclusive Work by Yanyou Chen, Mitchell Hoffman, Huilan Xu, and Zhe Yuan. NBER WP 353722, June 2026.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Each episode of Economics, Applied, a video podcast series, features senior fellow Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The podcast also aims to showcase the value of individual initiative, markets, the rule of law, and sound policy in fostering prosperity and security.
For more information, visit hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.
