A new book from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professors Damon Acemoğlu and Simon Johnson, 'Power and progress: Our thousand-year struggle over technology and prosperity', challenges whether technology equates to progress that is truly beneficial to humankind. Co-founders and co-directors of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT, Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, commented on the authors' arguments: "Technology is not destiny, nothing is preordained. Humans, despite their imperfect institutions and often-contradictory impulses, remain in the driver’s seat. It is still our job to determine whether the vehicles we build are heading toward justice or down the cliff. In this age of relentless automation and seemingly unstoppable consolidation of power and wealth, 'Power and progress' is an essential reminder that we can, and must, take back control".
