Economic Possibilities for Artificial Intelligence

Harvard FAS

In 1930, amidst deep economic pessimism in the early years of the Great Depression, John Maynard Keynes wrote his famous essay: "Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren." His essay got some things right and others badly wrong, but its core message was an optimistic story about the promise of technological progress. Even though the economy is much better now than it was in 1930, you can hear the echoes of Keynes’ essay in current fears about the rapid progress of AI. Is this time…