Chasing a Moving Target: How Do You Measure an AI Economy? (w/ The AI Collective)

AI is reshaping how work gets done - faster than our economic indicators can track it. This session asks economists, AI researchers, and finance practitioners: what would it actually take to measure this economy in real time — and where are our current tools already wrong? Standard economic indicators — employment surveys, productivity stats, wage data — were built for a slower-moving economy.... Meanwhile, usage data from AI companies shows something stranger: heavier AI users report more optimism about their jobs, not less; compute spend tracks the value of the work being done; and the level of autonomy AI is given seems to depend more on the tool than the task. None of that fits neatly into the frameworks economists usually reach for. What we are discussing: Can we actually measure AI's impact on the economy right now — or are we just guessing? What data would tell us the truth faster than official stats do? Are the people using AI the most also the ones who understand its economic effects the best? Is "usage" (tokens, sessions, autonomy level) a legitimate economic signal, or just a proxy that looks rigorous but isn't? Should we trust self-reported optimism/anxiety data about AI, given how fast the underlying tools change? Please be advised: Unfortunately, space is very limited at these community events and we can not always accept everyone we would like to. If you are not accepted to this event, please keep applying! We appreciate your application tremendously and we are looking forward to seeing you at a future event very soon! The AI Collective is a global non-profit building the human layer for the AI era. We unite 200,000+ leaders, builders, and stakeholders across 100+ forums worldwide to democratize the frontier, build trust, and coordinate how society navigates the rapid acceleration of technological progress. All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct.