The Acemoglu-Gans Exchange: economists spar over AI's real economic impact

joshgans · x · 2026-10-11

Economist Daron Acemoglu, a prominent AI-impact skeptic, and Joshua Gans have collected their full back-and-forth debate on AI in one Substack post, titled "The Acemoglu-Gans Exchange on AI."

The exchange centers on how much AI will actually move productivity, jobs, and growth: Acemoglu argues AI's economic payoff is widely overstated, while Gans pushes back from an innovation-economics perspective. A substantive deep dive for anyone tracking the macro debate over AI's economic consequences.

Related event: Acemoglu and Gans Debate Whether AI's Economic Impact Is Overhyped(3 posts)→

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