The one piece of data that could actually shed light on your job and AI

MIT Technology Review
by James O'Donnell
April 6, 2026
12 views
5 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Economist Alex Imas urges a "Manhattan Project" to gather specific economic data on AI's impact on jobs.

How This Affects You

Policymakers currently lack data to understand AI's job displacement, meaning future job market shifts could affect you without informed plans.

AI Summary

Economist Alex Imas of the University of Chicago is calling for a "Manhattan Project" to collect specific economic data to understand AI's impact on jobs. He argues that current tools, like "exposure" analysis used by OpenAI and Anthropic, are "meaningless" for predicting job displacement. Imas emphasizes the need to collect data on "price elasticity" across various jobs, not just grocery items, to determine how demand changes when prices are affected by AI-driven efficiencies. This data would provide economists with a realistic view of an AI-enabled future and allow policymakers to create informed plans. Without it, policymakers are "operating in the dark" regarding potential job market shifts.

What's Being Done

Economist Alex Imas is calling for a "Manhattan Project" to collect economic data on AI's job impact.

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