OpenAI hires its first chief economist.

OpenAI has recently hired its first chief economist, Aaron Chatterji, who previously served as the chief economist at the Commerce Department under President Joe Biden and as a senior economist in President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. Chatterji, who is also a professor of business and public policy at Duke University, will focus on studying the economic impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) at OpenAI. His role will involve leading research into how AI might influence economic growth and job prospects.

OpenAI expressed its hope that this work will inform efforts by policymakers, academics, and organizations about the global economic impacts of building AI infrastructure. The research aims to provide insights on longer-term labor market trends and help the current and future workforce harness the benefits of this technology.

Notably, Chatterji played a significant role in coordinating the Biden administration’s implementation of the 2022 CHIPS Act, which authorized roughly $280 billion in funding for the development of computer chips in the U.S. His understanding of this project and his political connections could be particularly valuable as OpenAI undertakes its own chip design efforts.

OpenAI’s hiring of Chatterji marks a strategic move to better understand and address the economic implications of AI, positioning the company to contribute meaningfully to the broader discussions around AI’s global economic impacts and labor market trends.

source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/22/openai-hires-its-first-chief-economist/