Economist splits the Acemoglu debate: towering scholar, contestable AI takes
soumitrashukla9 · x · 2026-08-20
Responding to debates over whether Daron Acemoglu's reputation is justified, economist Luis Garicano draws a distinction:
- As an academic economist, Acemoglu's influence across so many fields is objectively unmatched; his scholarly reputation is fully deserved.
- As a public intellectual, his views are fair game: Garicano praised "Why Nations Fail" but disagreed with "Power and Progress" and much of Acemoglu's writing on AI — brilliance in economics doesn't oblige anyone to accept his public positions.
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