# Erik Brynjolfsson: Creating Shared Prosperity With AI

The real barrier to AI progress isn't technology—it's people and institutions.

- **Source:** [MIT Sloan Management Review](https://sloanreview.mit.edu)
- **Published:** 2026-07-21
- **Topic:** [Data & AI](https://brifing.si/c/data-ai)
- **Original article:** <https://sloanreview.mit.edu/audio/creating-shared-prosperity-with-ai-stanford-digital-economy-labs-erik-brynjolfsson/>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e8548142-fe09-4e9c-8013-9095e7828096

## Shifting the AI Debate Paradigm

Stanford economist Brynjolfsson argues we should stop asking what AI will do to us, and start asking what we will do with AI. The real constraints are human and institutional, not technological.

## Research on Economic Impact

Brynjolfsson's lab studies AI's effects on jobs, productivity and economic growth. Recent work focuses on entry-level workers as early indicators of broader workforce changes.

## Technology-Human Misalignment

While technological capabilities advance rapidly, economic institutions and skills lag behind. Brynjolfsson aims to bridge this growing gap through his research.

## Collaborating With Machines

The core thesis of 'Race Against the Machine' emphasizes human-machine collaboration over competition. Such synergy requires intentional design choices, not passive adoption.

## The Growing Importance of Human Choices

As AI's power increases, so does the significance of human decisions about its use. Brynjolfsson contends our values matter more than ever in shaping outcomes.

## Stanford Digital Economy Lab

Based in Silicon Valley, this research center examines how AI and digital technologies transform economies. It seeks to align economic understanding with technological progress.

## AI's Workforce Implications

Studies show AI both automates certain jobs and creates new opportunities. Managing this transition effectively remains a critical challenge for policymakers and businesses.

## Redefining Human Values

The AI era demands reevaluation of ethical standards and human priorities. Brynjolfsson stresses these factors must guide technological development, not follow it.

## Transforming Economic Institutions

Traditional economic models must adapt to the AI revolution. Research indicates current institutions are unprepared for the pace and scale of coming changes.

## The Productivity Paradox

Despite technological advances, productivity growth remains unexpectedly low—a phenomenon Brynjolfsson's work seeks to explain and address.

## Human-Machine Synergy

The most successful applications emerge where human strengths complement machine capabilities. Brynjolfsson researches how to optimize this collaboration.

## Shaping Our Collective Future

Brynjolfsson frames AI not as something that happens to us, but as a tool we actively shape. Today's choices will determine tomorrow's economic landscape and quality of life.

## Sources covering this story

- https://sloanreview.mit.edu/audio/creating-shared-prosperity-with-ai-stanford-digital-economy-labs-erik-brynjolfsson/ — 

---

_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._