Digital Economics and Artificial Intelligence, 2023-2026

The Digital Economics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative aims to advance and disseminate cutting-edge research on the intersection of AI, digitization, and economic theory. Building on the foundations of two longstanding NBER projects—the Economics of Digitization and the Economics of AI—this initiative seeks to foster a collaborative and diverse research community that spans multiple subfields of economics. The initiative’s objectives are to strengthen the research community, integrate the two projects, and define a comprehensive agenda for digital economics and AI research. Annual events will include a major meeting at the NBER Summer Institute, a fall conference in Toronto, a winter conference at Stanford, and a PhD workshop, emphasizing key themes such as the transformation of work through digital data and AI, the role of digital technology in political economy, its impact on societal inequality, and its influence on competition. Focused conferences will address platform regulation, labor market outcomes, and the intersection of AI with political economy. The project will generate new insights into digital economics, particularly in areas of economic growth, labor, and regulation, providing valuable research to inform policymakers and practitioners about the broader societal and economic implications of digital technology.