Published White-Papers, Op-Eds,
Practitioner Pieces
and Commentary

Antitrust Needs Better Models for Estimating Social Welfare in the Digital Age - 2023

I think the title does a pretty good job of summarizing our take.

Published at Promarket: The Publication of the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago

To Really Hurt Russia's Economy, Target Investment and Human Capital, not Gas - 2022

A review of the analysis of the West's options in sanctioning Russia, based on my time in Moscow with the Gaidar Institute.

Published at War on the Rocks

Simulating the Future of Global Automation, its Consequences, and Evaluating Policy Options - 2021

Despite clear economic benefits of new digital technologies, slow median wage growth has led many to worry that these new technologies are failing to deliver for the average worker. This column describes our model of global automation and technological change, which we use to study the long-term consequences of these trends

Joint with Victor Ye

Published at VoxEU

Understanding and Addressing the Modern Productivity Paradox - 2020

In spite of the emergence of cool new technologies—with their enormous industrial potential—the rate of productivity growth in recent years has been disappointingly slow. We discuss hypotheses for why and propose a set of ideas to boost growth.

Joint with Erik Brynjolfsson and Daniel Rock

Published at MIT Work of the Future Project

Ranking How National Economies Adapt to Remote Work - 2020

How easily will different countries adapt to remote work? There is an offsetting effect from more developed countries having better internet quality and fewer children at home, and yet, on the other hand, demanding more personal services and occupations that require physical contact.

Joint with Sarah Bana and Rodrigo Solares

Published at Sloan Management Review

Modeling Effective Regulation of Facebook - 2020

Summarizes our research on the economic impact of proposed Facebook (now Meta) antitrust remedies.

Joint with Avi Collis

Published as Stanford HAI Digital Economy Lab Research Brief

Boosting Business Value by Reducing COVID-19 Transmission Risk - 2020

Our research measuring the value-risk proposition of different business openings offers insights and strategies for how to minimize pandemic transmission risk.

Joint with Avi Collis and Christos Nicolaides

Published at Sloan Management Review

A One Sector Model of Robotic Immisseration - 2018

A simple OLG model where automation can lower welfare in the long run through reducing saving and investment.

Joint with Jeffrey Sachs and Guillermo Lagarda

Published as a chapter of Digitized Labor: The Impact of the Internet on Employment. Edited by Lorenzo Pupillo, Eli Noam and Leonard Waverman

Additional Commentary

The US is a waning economic superpower. When will policymakers realize it? (with Larry Kotlikoff). The Hill. November 2, 2022

Policy Strategies for Harnessing the Productivity Potential of AI in the U.S. (with Erik Brynjolfsson and Daniel Rock), Stanford HAI-DEL Policy Brief May 2021

70 Years of US Corporate Profits (with Simcha Barkai), PROMARKET: The Publication of the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago, May 30, 2018

The Economic Impact of Digital Infrastructure: Understanding and Leveraging the Digital Transition Through Government Policy (with Maxwell Means). A Chapter “Digitalization for Sustainable Infrastructure: The Race Ahead” Edited by Carlo Secchi and Alessandro Gili for Italian Institute on International Political Studies and McKinsey & Co. 2022 https://cdn.gihub.org/umbraco/media/4978/digital-infrastructure-2022.pdf

Published White-Papers, Op-Eds, Practitioner Pieces and Commentary