The Political Economy of Artificial Intelligence: A New NBER Volume for 2026
Description
Every AI growth forecast this year — including the IMF's July update, which cited AI-driven demand as a genuine bright spot in an otherwise war-strained global economy — raises the same unanswered question: who actually captures the value artificial intelligence creates, and who absorbs the disruption? The Political Economy of Artificial Intelligence, edited by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb, and Catherine E. Tucker, is the first NBER-backed volume to take that question seriously as an economics problem rather than a policy slogan.
Why buy this book?
For economists, policy researchers, and institutional libraries building a serious AI-and-economy collection, this is the reference that moves the conversation past productivity forecasts and into labor markets, market concentration, taxation, and the political economy of AI regulation — grounded in NBER-quality research rather than commentary.
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Q&A
What does "political economy of AI" mean as a field of study?
It examines how artificial intelligence redistributes economic power, value, and risk across firms, workers, and governments — not just how AI affects productivity or growth rates.
Who edited this volume?
Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb, and Catherine E. Tucker, all senior NBER-affiliated economists known for their prior work on the economics of AI.
Is this book aimed at policymakers or academics?
Both — it's written at a level useful for university economics departments, central bank and IMF-adjacent research teams, and policy institutions studying AI regulation.
How does this book relate to 2026 global growth trends?
It provides the analytical framework behind headline figures like the IMF's AI-driven growth adjustment, explaining the underlying distributional dynamics those numbers don't show.
Where can I buy The Political Economy of Artificial Intelligence?
Directly from CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping and secure card or PayPal checkout — view the book here.