AI is Shifting the Focus of Scientific Value
Afinetheorem · x · 2026-07-19
Gita Gopinath noted at an NBER conference that **AI has significantly eroded the premium once placed on research driven primarily by computational complexity**. As AI makes such work easier, the center of value is shifting back to three types of contributions that are much harder to replace: - **New insights** - **New mechanisms** - **New measurements** The author adds that this confirms a broader realization: true value creation now lies in abilities that complement AI, rather than simply piling on complexity.
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