Expanding Overton window and AGI governance: As conversations about AGI become more commonplace, the Overton window — the range of ideas and policy options that people view as reasonable to discuss — is rapidly expanding. This will bring AGI governance to the forefront of the public discourse. Important questions include both how AGI will interact with existing governance structures and how AGI itself should be governed. Economists have much to contribute to these topics, providing ample opportunities for cutting-edge research papers and dissertations. Our Oxford Handbook of AI Governance, set to be published in early 2023, will make an influential contribution — and many of the chapters are already available online.
Preparing for the nonexistent future of work: In the medium term, our society will have to adjust to a world in which human labor is largely redundant. And this may happen sooner than many expect, perhaps even within the current decade. Cognitive automation is making policies such as a universal basic income more urgent and more appealing. To better understand how to prepare for this nonexistent future of work, I recently published a report on the topic. What is more, if cognitive work becomes redundant, we must also reevaluate the purpose of education at a fundamental level.