Google has expanded its AI & Economy Research Program by inviting world-class economists to help study AI’s impact on economic activity worldwide. The firm announced that Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion, professor Ajay Agrawal, and other leading researchers are joining the program to broaden its scientific understanding of AI’s effects on jobs, firms, and daily life.
The expansion aligns with an ongoing effort to combine detailed data with rigorous economic inquiry as AI reshapes labor markets and productivity.
ATLAS V1.0 AND ITS OPEN-ACCESS FINDINGS
Google notes the launch of the AI & Economy ATLAS v1.0, an open-access interactive site designed to help people understand how they use Google’s AI tools at work and in daily life. TechStaged has also covered NVIDIA expands real-time AI for broadcast, sports and global streaming at IBC 2026 in Amsterdam.
The company emphasizes that tracking adoption is just the beginning, and the expanded program aims to deepen real-time analysis of AI’s economic effects.
KEY APPOINTMENTS AND ROLES
Anu Madgavkar and Daniel Rock will serve as Directors of Google’s AI & Economy Research Program, directing empirical research and bridging theory with data. Madgavkar previously led global research at the McKinsey Global Institute, while Rock is a Wharton School economist and AI2050/ MIT Digital Fellow.
Joining as Academic Advisors and Visiting Fellows are Philippe Aghion and Ajay Agrawal, respectively, allowing them to contribute to modeling AI’s long-term macroeconomic trajectory and the economics of AI and scientific discovery.
- Anu Madgavkar: Director, empirical research on global AI diffusion and workforce impacts
- Daniel Rock: Director, empirical research on enterprise productivity and labor transitions
- Philippe Aghion: Academic Advisor
- Ajay Agrawal: Visiting Fellow
FOCUS AREAS AND COLLABORATION
The expanded program will center on the future of work, productivity and growth, global technology diffusion, and AI’s impact on scientific discovery. Google says the initiative will depend on collaboration with academia, industry leaders, and policymakers to build a broader understanding of AI’s opportunities and disruptions.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR STAKEHOLDERS
Google describes the expansion as a scientific bridge that will inform future ATLAS updates and empirical research. The company says the effort is intended to identify organizational practices, policy frameworks, and training programs that can help AI upskill workers and drive broadly shared prosperity.
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SOURCES
- News from Google: New experts join Google’s AI & Economy team Published · Primary source
