The Economic Impacts of Generative AI

Graduate / Professional

Generative AI is transforming how goods and information are produced, processed, and incorporated into economic activity. This graduate-level reading course examines the economic foundations and implications of this emerging technology, with a focus on theoretical frameworks drawn from economics and computer science. We cover a variety of topics, including the macroeconomic impact of AI on productivity and growth, the changing nature of work and expertise, how AI influences human decision-making and team collaboration, the design of incentives and mechanisms for AI alignment, and applications of AI to consumer markets and content ecosystems. Students read and discuss cutting-edge research papers. Each class is organized around a student presentation followed by group discussion. Over the course of the semester, students also develop a research proposal outlining a project related to the economics of generative AI and present it to the class during the final lectures of the course. By the end of the course, students have developed a broad understanding of the key economic questions raised by generative AI, the theoretical tools used to analyze them, and a promising novel research direction that could be further developed in independent projects. Expertise in microeconomics and algorithms helpful but not required. MW 11:35am-12:50pm