A professor at the University of Bordeaux, Olivier Babeau is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay and ESCP Business School. He holds postgraduate degrees in economics and philosophy, is an agrégé in economics, and has a PhD in management science. He has taught at Dauphine University and... Read more
A professor at the University of Bordeaux, Olivier Babeau is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay and ESCP Business School. He holds postgraduate degrees in economics and philosophy, is an agrégé in economics, and has a PhD in management science. He has taught at Dauphine University and Sciences Po, and served as a speechwriter for a government minister, a prime minister, and several presidential candidates.
As an essayist, he has published numerous books, including:
Management Explained Through Art (Ellipses, 2013);
The New Animal Farm: A Political and Economic Fable for Humans (Les Belles Lettres, 2016);
Political Horror: The State Against Society (Les Belles Lettres, 2017);
In Praise of Hypocrisy (Cerf, 2018);
The New Digital Disorder: How Technology Is Widening Inequality (Buchet-Chastel, 2020 – winner of the 2022 Turgot Prize for Best Economics Book);
The Tyranny of Entertainment (Buchet-Chastel);
and The Age of Laziness (Buchet-Chastel, 2025).
In 2022, he was awarded the Zerilli-Marimò Prize by the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences for his body of work. A regular media commentator on television, radio, and in the press, he frequently appears to discuss economic news.
He is the founder and president of Institut Sapiens, an independent think tank focused on the disruptions brought about by new technologies in the economy and society. He also co-founded and co-chairs, alongside the mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Rencontres des Sablons, an annual forum bringing together France’s leading think tanks.
Takeaway: The digital age and the constant availability of entertainment saturate our attention, leaving us unable to concentrate, reflect, or engage in deep thought. We’ve lost the ability to be idle, to be bored, or to simply be alone with ourselves—undermining personal growth.
Audience: General public, educators, cultural professionals, parents.
...Takeaway: In a society shaped by comfort and immediacy, effort is seen as outdated or even suspect. This weakens our capacity to persevere, learn, work, and commit. Ease doesn’t just make us physically lazy—it numbs our minds and dulls our moral will.
Audience: Parents, teachers, business leaders, HR professionals, students,...
Takeaway: AI is transforming how we work, learn, and make decisions. It challenges entire professions, questions human autonomy, and reshapes the boundaries of responsibility. It requires deep ethical, political, and educational reflection.
Audience: Policymakers, educators, business leaders, and curious citizens.
Objective: To understand how AI is redefining skills, human relationships,...