David Autor Tapped to Lead MIT Economics, Prioritizing AI's Impact

David Autor, the renowned Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor, has been appointed to lead the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Economics, effective July 1. Agustín Rayo, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, formally announced Autor's selection to guide one of the world's preeminent economics departments.

Autor, who joined MIT in 1999, succeeds Jon Gruber, the Ford Professor of Economics, who served as department head since July 2023. His tenure as department head is poised to bring a sharp focus on the burgeoning challenges and opportunities presented by advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

A Vision for AI and the Future of Work

Autor's distinguished scholarship is deeply entrenched in the societal implications of technological advancement. His research portfolio extensively covers the labor-market impacts of technological change, globalization, job polarization, shifts in skill demands, and their consequences for earnings inequality and political outcomes. This background uniquely positions him to steer the department's engagement with the economic frontier of AI. Autor has explicitly stated his objective to direct the Department of Economics toward leveraging the emerging opportunities that advancing AI is generating across both teaching methodologies and research paradigms.

His expertise is further underscored by his roles as faculty co-director of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work, and as co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Labor Studies Program. These affiliations highlight his ongoing commitment to understanding and influencing the trajectory of labor markets in an era of rapid technological flux.

Academic Pedigree and Recognition

Autor's academic journey includes a BA in psychology from Tufts University in 1989, followed by a PhD in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 1999. His impactful contributions to economic thought have earned him numerous accolades, including the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2019, the Heinz 25th Special Recognition Award from the Heinz Family Foundation in 2020, and the Society for Progress Medal in 2021. Most recently, he was named a NOMIS Distinguished Scientist in 2023 and selected as an AI2050 Senior Fellow by the Schmidt Sciences Foundation in 2024, further solidifying his position at the intersection of economics, technology, and policy.