Regulating Transformative Technologies

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review: Insights
Year: 2024
Volume: 6
Issue: 3
Pages: 359-76

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Transformative technologies like generative AI promise to accelerate productivity growth across many sectors, but they also present new risks from potential misuse. We develop a multisector technology adoption model to study the optimal regulation of transformative technologies when society can learn about these risks over time. Socially optimal adoption is gradual and typically convex. If social damages are large and proportional to the new technology's productivity, a higher growth rate paradoxically leads to slower optimal adoption. Equilibrium adoption is inefficient when firms do not internalize all social damages, and sector-independent regulation is helpful but generally not sufficient to restore optimality.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aerins:v:6:y:2024:i:3:p:359-76
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24