Creating Shared Prosperity With AI: Stanford Digital Economy Lab’s Erik Brynjolfsson

Erik Brynjolfsson has a challenge for anyone worried about artificial intelligence: Stop asking what AI will do to us, and start asking what we will do with AI. In this episode, the Stanford University economist explains why technology isn’t the biggest barrier to progress — people, organizations, and institutions are. Drawing on new research into AI’s impact on jobs, productivity, and economic growth, he argues that the future isn’t predetermined: It will be shaped by the choices we make today. This is a timely conversation about human agency, shared prosperity, and why the most important AI breakthroughs may have less to do with technology than with how we use it. Read the episode transcript here. Guest bio: Erik Brynjolfsson is the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, and director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. He is also the Ralph Landau Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, professor by courtesy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Department of Economics, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. A best-selling author, Brynjolfsson focuses his research on examining the effects of information technologies on business strategy, productivity and performance, digital commerce, and intangible assets. Me, Myself, and AI is a podcast produced by MIT Sloan Management Review and hosted by Sam Ransbotham. It is engineered by David Lishansky and produced by Allison Ryder. We encourage you to rate and review our show. Your comments may be used in Me, Myself, and AI materials.